US Layoffs — March 2014
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 263 WARN Act notices in March 2014, putting at risk an estimated 27,500 workers — up substantially from February and down 1% versus March 2013. Filings came from 32 states and territories, with an average of 105 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 75 | 7,320 |
| New York | 52 | 3,152 |
| Texas | 15 | 1,767 |
| Mississippi | 6 | 1,699 |
| Virginia | 9 | 1,216 |
| Kansas | 7 | 1,190 |
| Tennessee | 12 | 968 |
| Florida | 7 | 958 |
| Utah | 3 | 808 |
| Iowa | 2 | 797 |
| Ohio | 10 | 765 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 695 |
| Maryland | 5 | 580 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 542 |
| Michigan | 4 | 507 |
| Louisiana | 4 | 473 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 429 |
| Missouri | 4 | 411 |
| Alabama | 2 | 381 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 355 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 347 |
| Indiana | 4 | 312 |
| Georgia | 7 | 287 |
| Vermont | 2 | 248 |
| Connecticut | 4 | 233 |
| Idaho | 1 | 206 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | 200 |
| Arizona | 1 | 187 |
| Oregon | 2 | 155 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 139 |
| Washington | 1 | 92 |
| Nebraska | 2 | 81 |
California led the nation with 7,320 workers affected across 75 notices , followed by New York (3,152 workers) and Texas (1,767 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 57 | 6,741 |
| Information & Technology | 32 | 4,860 |
| Accommodation & Food | 12 | 2,934 |
| Transportation | 24 | 2,342 |
| Professional Services | 15 | 2,033 |
| Healthcare | 30 | 1,923 |
| Finance & Insurance | 16 | 1,044 |
| Retail | 14 | 1,017 |
| Education | 8 | 985 |
| Utilities | 6 | 420 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 6,741 workers across 57 notices. Separately, Information & Technology reported 4,860 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 57 | 7,127 |
| Layoff | 58 | 4,827 |
Closures accounted for 26% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrah's Casino | Robinsonville, Mississippi | 1,300 | Closure |
| Ups-North Bay(Richmond) Hub | Richmond, California | 1,073 | |
| Northrop Grumman | Fort Irwin, California | 860 | |
| General Dynamics IT | Sandy, Utah | 645 | |
| Hillshire Brands | Storm Lake, Iowa | 542 | Closure |
| Sprint | Overland Park, Kansas | 477 | |
| Sprint | Ft. Worth, Texas | 453 | |
| Sprint-Ft Worth | Ft. Worth, Texas | 450 | |
| Sprint Customer Service Center | Altamonte Springs, Florida | 399 | |
| ConAgra Foods Inc. aka The Carriage House Companies | Fredonia, New York | 395 | Closure |
Topping the list was Harrah's Casino in Robinsonville, Mississippi, reporting 1,300 affected workers. Ups-North Bay(Richmond) Hub followed with 1,073 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
These figures highlight a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in March 2014. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is sourced from official state filings and updated daily by WARN Firehose, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.