US Layoffs — May 2014
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 280 WARN Act notices in May 2014, involving roughly 29,199 workers — climbing above April and up 38% versus May 2013. Filings came from 28 states and territories, with an average of 104 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 99 | 12,173 |
| New York | 43 | 2,126 |
| New Jersey | 9 | 1,986 |
| Georgia | 8 | 1,299 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 1,153 |
| Florida | 9 | 977 |
| Michigan | 4 | 881 |
| North Carolina | 8 | 867 |
| Mississippi | 9 | 821 |
| Virginia | 8 | 814 |
| Missouri | 4 | 800 |
| Texas | 14 | 799 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 716 |
| Ohio | 7 | 644 |
| Maryland | 3 | 553 |
| South Carolina | 5 | 395 |
| Alabama | 3 | 350 |
| Oregon | 4 | 338 |
| Iowa | 3 | 216 |
| Indiana | 2 | 204 |
| Kansas | 2 | 204 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 201 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 143 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 135 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 132 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 115 |
| Washington | 3 | 85 |
| Nebraska | 3 | 72 |
California led the nation with 12,173 workers affected across 99 notices , followed by New York (2,126 workers) and New Jersey (1,986 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 77 | 8,331 |
| Information & Technology | 34 | 6,492 |
| Healthcare | 24 | 2,287 |
| Accommodation & Food | 17 | 2,042 |
| Transportation | 18 | 1,555 |
| Retail | 23 | 1,387 |
| Professional Services | 12 | 1,302 |
| Education | 7 | 1,295 |
| Finance & Insurance | 11 | 615 |
| Wholesale Trade | 6 | 307 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 8,331 workers across 77 notices. Meanwhile, Information & Technology reported 6,492 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 95 | 7,952 |
| Layoff | 65 | 6,974 |
Closures accounted for 27% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Beef California | Brawley, California | 1,342 | |
| Verizon Wireless-Irvine | Irvine, California | 1,092 | |
| Northrop Grumman Technical Services | Fort Irwin, California | 899 | Layoff |
| Northrop Grumman Technical Services | Fort Irwin, California | 813 | Layoff |
| Aramark | Newark, New Jersey | 685 | |
| Exelis | Fort Benning, Georgia | 550 | |
| Newark Preschool Council | Newark, New Jersey | 504 | |
| Nordyne | Poplar Bluff, Missouri | 483 | Closure |
| Sony Electronics, Inc.-San Diego | San Diego, California | 400 | |
| Jacobson Staffing Company, L.C | Tracy, California | 390 | Layoff |
The biggest impact was at National Beef California in Brawley, California, reporting 1,342 affected workers. Verizon Wireless-Irvine followed with 1,092 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in May 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.