US Layoffs — December 2015
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 225 WARN Act notices in December 2015, displacing an estimated 27,744 workers — signaling an acceleration from November and up 50% versus December 2014. Filings came from 29 states and territories, with an average of 123 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 70 | 8,945 |
| New York | 17 | 1,781 |
| Virginia | 5 | 1,755 |
| Delaware | 1 | 1,700 |
| Connecticut | 4 | 1,423 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 1,371 |
| Texas | 13 | 1,128 |
| Illinois | 9 | 1,042 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 987 |
| Alabama | 8 | 953 |
| Georgia | 9 | 907 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 767 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 568 |
| Ohio | 6 | 510 |
| Nebraska | 13 | 476 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 460 |
| Florida | 6 | 453 |
| Washington | 4 | 442 |
| West Virginia | 5 | 418 |
| Kansas | 4 | 348 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 319 |
| Iowa | 4 | 284 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 181 |
| Utah | 1 | 161 |
| Oregon | 4 | 131 |
| Maryland | 1 | 89 |
| Vermont | 3 | 72 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 60 |
| Indiana | 1 | 13 |
California led the nation with 8,945 workers affected across 70 notices , followed by New York (1,781 workers) and Virginia (1,755 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 74 | 10,027 |
| Accommodation & Food | 9 | 3,306 |
| Agriculture | 3 | 2,582 |
| Healthcare | 15 | 1,980 |
| Information & Technology | 21 | 1,843 |
| Finance & Insurance | 6 | 885 |
| Transportation | 10 | 869 |
| Mining & Energy | 4 | 761 |
| Retail | 11 | 609 |
| Professional Services | 10 | 495 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 10,027 workers across 74 notices. Notably, Accommodation & Food reported 3,306 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 76 | 11,991 |
| Layoff | 67 | 6,360 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 45 |
Closures accounted for 43% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gerawan Farming | Kerman, California | 2,551 | Closure |
| DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite | Yosemite National, California | 1,718 | Closure |
| DuPont | Wilmington, Delaware | 1,700 | |
| Hyatt Regency Century Plaza | Los Angeles, California | 796 | Closure |
| Newport News Shipbuilding | Newport News, Virginia | 741 | Layoff |
| Volvo Group Trucks Operations | Dublin, Virginia | 734 | Layoff |
| Barnabas Health | West Orange, New Jersey | 700 | |
| Hallmark Cards, Inc. and Hallmark Marketing Co., LLC (Update to 10/2/15 notice) | Enfield, Connecticut | 554 | Closure |
| Hallmark Cards, Inc., LLC (Update to 10/2/15 notice) | Enfield, Connecticut | 553 | Closure |
| Century Aluminum | Mount Holly, South Carolina | 487 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Gerawan Farming in Kerman, California, reporting 2,551 affected workers. DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite followed with 1,718 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate 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 December 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.