US Layoffs — July 2017
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 234 WARN Act notices in July 2017, affecting an estimated 21,319 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to June and up 8% versus July 2016. Filings came from 36 states and territories, with an average of 91 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 46 | 3,411 |
| Texas | 22 | 2,502 |
| Ohio | 13 | 1,393 |
| New York | 21 | 1,140 |
| Georgia | 12 | 1,081 |
| Indiana | 5 | 1,048 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 1,048 |
| Florida | 9 | 881 |
| Alabama | 1 | 832 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 799 |
| South Carolina | 6 | 754 |
| Michigan | 5 | 668 |
| Wisconsin | 6 | 658 |
| Washington | 5 | 614 |
| Oregon | 11 | 514 |
| Iowa | 5 | 394 |
| Virginia | 4 | 389 |
| Maryland | 5 | 317 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 314 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 293 |
| Colorado | 3 | 285 |
| Missouri | 3 | 256 |
| Utah | 1 | 250 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 247 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | 213 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 204 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 152 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 117 |
| Vermont | 4 | 103 |
| Nevada | 1 | 87 |
| Nebraska | 5 | 85 |
| Washington DC | 2 | 79 |
| Maine | 4 | 78 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 54 |
| Minnesota | 1 | 30 |
| Arizona | 1 | 29 |
California led the nation with 3,411 workers affected across 46 notices , followed by Texas (2,502 workers) and Ohio (1,393 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 59 | 7,058 |
| Retail | 31 | 2,454 |
| Information & Technology | 27 | 2,432 |
| Healthcare | 29 | 1,792 |
| Finance & Insurance | 11 | 1,495 |
| Professional Services | 9 | 724 |
| Government | 4 | 722 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 8 | 641 |
| Accommodation & Food | 10 | 547 |
| Transportation | 8 | 511 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 7,058 workers across 59 notices. On a related front, Retail reported 2,454 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 74 | 7,438 |
| Layoff | 52 | 3,224 |
Closures accounted for 35% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Par Pharmaceuticals | Huntsville, Alabama | 832 | Closure |
| BCBG Max Azria Group | Vernon, California | 492 | Layoff |
| Walter Investment Management Corp-Dietech Financial-Irving | Irving, Texas | 437 | |
| AM General | Mishawaka, Indiana | 435 | |
| DuraFiber Technologies | Salisbury, North Carolina | 373 | Closure |
| Gander Mountain | Deforest, Wisconsin | 371 | Closure |
| New York Community Bancorp | Columbus, Ohio | 363 | |
| TeleTech -Richardson | Richardson, Texas | 358 | |
| Boeing | Seattle, Washington | 337 | |
| Coca-Cola | Atlanta, Georgia | 334 |
The largest notice was filed by Par Pharmaceuticals in Huntsville, Alabama, reporting 832 affected workers. BCBG Max Azria Group followed with 492 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
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 July 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.