US Layoffs — August 2014
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 158 WARN Act notices in August 2014, impacting roughly 18,363 workers — representing a pullback from July and down 22% versus August 2013. Filings came from 26 states and territories, with an average of 116 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 43 | 7,055 |
| Texas | 13 | 2,139 |
| New York | 26 | 1,384 |
| Georgia | 10 | 1,167 |
| Indiana | 7 | 1,084 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 618 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 558 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 549 |
| Florida | 6 | 530 |
| Washington | 5 | 518 |
| Arizona | 3 | 406 |
| Missouri | 3 | 393 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 346 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 275 |
| Virginia | 2 | 272 |
| Utah | 1 | 167 |
| Ohio | 1 | 146 |
| Kansas | 4 | 146 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 142 |
| Michigan | 1 | 109 |
| Alabama | 2 | 108 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 91 |
| Maryland | 1 | 61 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 47 |
| Oregon | 1 | 26 |
| Nebraska | 2 | 26 |
California led the nation with 7,055 workers affected across 43 notices , followed by Texas (2,139 workers) and New York (1,384 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Services | 10 | 4,120 |
| Manufacturing | 34 | 4,069 |
| Healthcare | 21 | 1,919 |
| Transportation | 11 | 1,407 |
| Information & Technology | 10 | 1,295 |
| Accommodation & Food | 10 | 713 |
| Utilities | 5 | 679 |
| Finance & Insurance | 10 | 674 |
| Retail | 8 | 460 |
| Education | 3 | 322 |
The Professional Services sector led the way in workforce reductions with 4,120 workers across 10 notices. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 4,069 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 60 | 7,395 |
| Closure | 40 | 3,508 |
Closures accounted for 19% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tatitlek | Twentynine Palms, California | 2,562 | Layoff |
| Cox Communications-San Diego | San Diego, California | 505 | |
| Xerox Commercial Solutions LLC -Houston | Houston, Texas | 468 | |
| Xerox Business Services-Houston | Houston, Texas | 468 | |
| Boeing- Macon, Georgia | Macon, Georgia | 464 | |
| Northrop Grumman | Fort Irwin, California | 423 | Layoff |
| Foothill Transit/First Transit | Arcadia, California | 416 | Layoff |
| Nestle Prepared Foods Company/Hot | Chatsworth, California | 353 | Layoff |
| Northrop Grumman Technical Services | Fort Polk, Louisiana | 346 | |
| REM Connecticut | Hartford, Connecticut | 342 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Tatitlek in Twentynine Palms, California, reporting 2,562 affected workers. Cox Communications-San Diego followed with 505 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The data underscores a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Professional Services sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in August 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.