US Layoffs — November 2016
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 212 WARN Act notices in November 2016, affecting an estimated 24,942 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to October and up 16% versus November 2015. Filings came from 35 states and territories, with an average of 118 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 45 | 6,825 |
| Ohio | 13 | 2,893 |
| New York | 17 | 2,207 |
| Texas | 25 | 1,656 |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 1,517 |
| Michigan | 4 | 1,054 |
| New Jersey | 6 | 904 |
| Florida | 9 | 786 |
| Connecticut | 8 | 730 |
| Pennsylvania | 8 | 598 |
| Louisiana | 7 | 590 |
| Illinois | 6 | 547 |
| Georgia | 5 | 545 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 446 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 433 |
| Nebraska | 3 | 344 |
| Washington | 3 | 338 |
| Arizona | 3 | 279 |
| Alabama | 2 | 264 |
| Maryland | 3 | 261 |
| Virginia | 4 | 253 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 243 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 187 |
| Indiana | 4 | 174 |
| Iowa | 2 | 168 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 132 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 116 |
| Missouri | 3 | 105 |
| Oregon | 2 | 104 |
| Kansas | 5 | 93 |
| Maine | 1 | 55 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 49 |
| Utah | 1 | 30 |
| Vermont | 1 | 14 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 2 |
California led the nation with 6,825 workers affected across 45 notices , followed by Ohio (2,893 workers) and New York (2,207 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 70 | 10,654 |
| Information & Technology | 22 | 2,924 |
| Transportation | 14 | 2,401 |
| Healthcare | 24 | 2,392 |
| Retail | 11 | 942 |
| Finance & Insurance | 6 | 625 |
| Professional Services | 5 | 389 |
| Accommodation & Food | 7 | 272 |
| Mining & Energy | 5 | 248 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3 | 234 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 10,654 workers across 70 notices. On a related front, Information & Technology reported 2,924 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 57 | 9,134 |
| Layoff | 43 | 3,183 |
Closures accounted for 37% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Apparel | Los Angeles, California | 2,166 | Closure |
| Waldorf Astoria -New York | New York, New York | 1,441 | Closure |
| General Motors | Warren, Ohio | 1,202 | |
| Milwaukee Center for Independence | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 1,062 | |
| American Apparel | South Gate, California | 959 | Closure |
| Verizon | Wallingford, Connecticut | 499 | |
| UPS | Oakland, California | 470 | Closure |
| Kenco Logistic Services | Robbinsville, New Jersey | 466 | |
| First Solar | Perrysburg, Ohio | 459 | |
| GM - Lansing Grand River Ass'y Plant | Lansing, Michigan | 443 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by American Apparel in Los Angeles, California, reporting 2,166 affected workers. Waldorf Astoria -New York followed with 1,441 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The trends suggest 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 November 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.