US Layoffs — May 2016
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers posted 312 WARN Act notices in May 2016, affecting an estimated 26,955 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to April and up 16% versus May 2015. Filings came from 38 states and territories, with an average of 86 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 87 | 5,704 |
| Texas | 28 | 2,775 |
| Georgia | 9 | 1,640 |
| Maryland | 16 | 1,426 |
| Pennsylvania | 14 | 1,219 |
| Washington | 6 | 1,032 |
| Alabama | 5 | 929 |
| Florida | 6 | 860 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 818 |
| Wisconsin | 12 | 767 |
| Ohio | 12 | 759 |
| Colorado | 5 | 754 |
| Indiana | 3 | 659 |
| Michigan | 6 | 617 |
| Iowa | 15 | 596 |
| New York | 18 | 595 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 535 |
| Kansas | 7 | 505 |
| Connecticut | 8 | 435 |
| Utah | 3 | 423 |
| Missouri | 4 | 414 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 389 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 386 |
| Virginia | 2 | 366 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 300 |
| West Virginia | 6 | 266 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 249 |
| Arizona | 4 | 213 |
| Idaho | 1 | 210 |
| North Dakota | 3 | 206 |
| Oregon | 2 | 195 |
| New Jersey | 2 | 180 |
| Delaware | 1 | 151 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 104 |
| Vermont | 3 | 103 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 80 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 72 |
| Nebraska | 3 | 23 |
California led the nation with 5,704 workers affected across 87 notices , followed by Texas (2,775 workers) and Georgia (1,640 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 64 | 5,785 |
| Information & Technology | 31 | 3,889 |
| Retail | 53 | 3,659 |
| Mining & Energy | 16 | 1,640 |
| Healthcare | 20 | 1,315 |
| Finance & Insurance | 17 | 1,303 |
| Accommodation & Food | 16 | 1,280 |
| Transportation | 9 | 1,107 |
| Utilities | 12 | 963 |
| Construction | 5 | 720 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 5,785 workers across 64 notices. On a related front, Information & Technology reported 3,889 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 96 | 7,875 |
| Layoff | 73 | 5,270 |
| Temporary Layoff | 1 | 53 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 17 |
Closures accounted for 29% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reliant Transportation | Savannah, Georgia | 720 | |
| Diversified Machine Bristol | Bristol, Indiana | 500 | |
| Sports Authority | Arapahoe, Colorado | 461 | |
| Concentrix | Norcross, Georgia | 454 | |
| Washington Closure Hanford | Richland, Washington | 435 | Closure |
| Generics Bideo, II, LLC DBA Qualitest Pharmaceuticals | Charlotte, North Carolina | 386 | Closure |
| Ensco Offshore | Houston, Texas | 350 | |
| Global Payments | Baltimore, Maryland | 334 | |
| Homemade Real Foods | Vernon, California | 316 | Layoff |
| Sanjel (USA) | Odessa, Texas | 312 |
The largest notice was filed by Reliant Transportation in Savannah, Georgia, reporting 720 affected workers. Diversified Machine Bristol followed with 500 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The trends suggest 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 May 2016. 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.