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US Layoffs — February 2015

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers recorded 238 WARN Act notices in February 2015, covering approximately 27,366 workers — marking a decline from January and up 10% versus February 2014. Filings came from 32 states and territories, with an average of 115 workers per notice.

238
Total Notices
27,366
Workers Affected
32
States Reporting
115
Avg per Notice
69
Closures

Top States by Workers Affected

State-by-state layoff summary
StateNoticesWorkers
California636,780
Texas273,723
Pennsylvania112,338
New York322,245
New Jersey52,036
Oklahoma121,490
Florida71,481
Louisiana51,139
North Carolina6783
Kentucky8768
Washington5654
Tennessee7624
Virginia7565
Georgia7555
Indiana5512
Michigan2373
Maryland2208
Alabama3184
Nebraska5174
Delaware1122
Connecticut298
Mississippi494
Missouri193
Colorado292
Ohio191
South Carolina150
South Dakota149
Idaho120
Vermont119
Iowa24
Kansas11
Oregon11

California led the nation with 6,780 workers affected across 63 notices , followed by Texas (3,723 workers) and Pennsylvania (2,338 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

Industry breakdown
IndustryNoticesWorkers
Manufacturing534,626
Healthcare204,252
Information & Technology273,322
Retail202,856
Mining & Energy211,976
Accommodation & Food141,614
Arts & Entertainment31,546
Transportation81,254
Finance & Insurance18930
Professional Services8908

The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 4,626 workers across 53 notices. At the same time, Healthcare reported 4,252 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Layoff types breakdown
TypeNoticesWorkers
Layoff807,134
Closure696,361

Closures accounted for 23% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

Largest layoff notices
CompanyLocationWorkersType
New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority - IZOD CENTEREast Rutherford, New Jersey1,400
Infinite CarePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania1,324
Doctors Medical CenterSan Pablo, California709Layoff
Baton Rouge General Medical CenterBaton Rouge, Louisiana700
Radio ShackFt. Worth, Texas683
eBaySan Jose, California538Layoff
Northrop Grumman TechnicalFort Irwin, California443Layoff
Computer Sciences RaytheonPatrick Air Force Base, Florida420
DreamWorks AnimationRedwood City, California403Closure
Radio Shack Support Facilities & Distribution CenterFt. Worth, Texas344

Leading the list was New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority - IZOD CENTER in East Rutherford, New Jersey, reporting 1,400 affected workers. Infinite Care followed with 1,324 workers.

Trend & Outlook

The filings reflect 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 February 2015. 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.

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