US Layoffs — January 2017
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 281 WARN Act notices in January 2017, affecting an estimated 24,126 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to December and down 44% versus January 2016. Filings came from 36 states and territories, with an average of 86 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 70 | 6,978 |
| Texas | 30 | 2,423 |
| New York | 32 | 2,248 |
| Florida | 14 | 1,564 |
| Michigan | 10 | 1,063 |
| Indiana | 4 | 936 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 839 |
| Ohio | 12 | 826 |
| Oklahoma | 9 | 722 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 591 |
| Washington | 5 | 584 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 533 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 415 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 412 |
| Nebraska | 18 | 381 |
| Georgia | 3 | 377 |
| Alabama | 1 | 332 |
| Colorado | 4 | 272 |
| Oregon | 3 | 272 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | 251 |
| Virginia | 3 | 247 |
| Arizona | 3 | 231 |
| Maryland | 2 | 226 |
| Missouri | 3 | 175 |
| Iowa | 2 | 162 |
| Kansas | 6 | 140 |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 126 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 117 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 116 |
| West Virginia | 3 | 112 |
| Connecticut | 4 | 103 |
| Utah | 1 | 96 |
| Vermont | 2 | 72 |
| Delaware | 1 | 68 |
| Nevada | 1 | 64 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 52 |
California led the nation with 6,978 workers affected across 70 notices , followed by Texas (2,423 workers) and New York (2,248 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 33 | 5,084 |
| Manufacturing | 49 | 4,674 |
| Retail | 55 | 4,592 |
| Accommodation & Food | 15 | 1,705 |
| Healthcare | 21 | 1,465 |
| Transportation | 17 | 1,085 |
| Utilities | 27 | 904 |
| Professional Services | 9 | 712 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 2 | 558 |
| Mining & Energy | 6 | 407 |
The Information & Technology sector saw the heaviest impact with 5,084 workers across 33 notices. On a related front, Manufacturing reported 4,674 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 85 | 7,112 |
| Layoff | 85 | 6,921 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Sportservice | San Diego, California | 1,130 | Closure |
| Verizon Wireless | Rancho Cordova, California | 1,070 | Layoff |
| National Steel and Shipbuilding | San Diego, California | 844 | Layoff |
| United Technologies Electronic Controls | Huntington, Indiana | 738 | |
| Feld Entertainment, Inc. Ringling Bros & Barnum& Bailey | Palmetto, Florida | 462 | |
| Oracle America | Santa Clara, California | 441 | Layoff |
| Memorial Health Services | Long Beach, California | 422 | Layoff |
| Sitel | Las Cruces, New Mexico | 412 | |
| General Mills, Inc. (Progresso Soup) | Vineland, New Jersey | 338 | |
| Beaulieu Group, LLC. - Bridgeport Fibers | Bridgeport, Alabama | 332 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by San Diego Sportservice in San Diego, California, reporting 1,130 affected workers. Verizon Wireless followed with 1,070 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Information & Technology sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in January 2017. 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.