US Layoffs — April 2017
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers reported 303 WARN Act notices in April 2017, displacing an estimated 19,421 workers — signaling a deceleration from March and down 37% versus April 2016. Filings came from 36 states and territories, with an average of 64 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 74 | 4,937 |
| New York | 33 | 1,601 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 1,197 |
| Texas | 15 | 1,110 |
| Indiana | 6 | 938 |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 853 |
| Florida | 20 | 710 |
| Ohio | 14 | 670 |
| Michigan | 7 | 656 |
| Virginia | 6 | 602 |
| Iowa | 5 | 586 |
| Kentucky | 15 | 584 |
| New Jersey | 19 | 573 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 544 |
| Oregon | 3 | 428 |
| Georgia | 2 | 413 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 373 |
| Nevada | 1 | 327 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 286 |
| Louisiana | 5 | 259 |
| Arizona | 4 | 223 |
| Delaware | 1 | 215 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 200 |
| Maine | 12 | 150 |
| Alaska | 1 | 149 |
| Alabama | 2 | 143 |
| Washington | 2 | 127 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 120 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 100 |
| Nebraska | 8 | 98 |
| Idaho | 2 | 87 |
| Utah | 1 | 69 |
| Kansas | 3 | 46 |
| Vermont | 1 | 30 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 9 |
| Missouri | 1 | 8 |
California led the nation with 4,937 workers affected across 74 notices , followed by New York (1,601 workers) and North Carolina (1,197 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 56 | 4,569 |
| Retail | 96 | 2,762 |
| Transportation | 17 | 2,311 |
| Healthcare | 22 | 1,619 |
| Information & Technology | 17 | 1,346 |
| Accommodation & Food | 12 | 1,078 |
| Education | 4 | 928 |
| Finance & Insurance | 11 | 631 |
| Professional Services | 3 | 447 |
| Utilities | 7 | 356 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 4,569 workers across 56 notices. Notably, Retail reported 2,762 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 108 | 7,133 |
| Layoff | 60 | 4,458 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Wake Forest University Health Sciences | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | 755 | Layoff |
| First Transit | Oceanside, California | 538 | Closure |
| Amgen | Thousand Oaks, California | 494 | Layoff |
| VF Outdoor | Appleton, Wisconsin | 380 | |
| First Transit | Pomona, California | 372 | Closure |
| UNR Med Integrated Clinical Services | Las Vegas, Nevada | 327 | Closure |
| Compass Group USA | Whitewater, Wisconsin | 302 | |
| Exel | Social Cirlce, Georgia | 280 | |
| Polaris | Milford, Iowa | 275 | Layoff |
| hhgregg | Indianapolis, Indiana | 268 |
The most significant filing came from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Wake Forest University Health Sciences in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, reporting 755 affected workers. First Transit followed with 538 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The numbers illustrate a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in April 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.