US Layoffs — October 2017
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 254 WARN Act notices in October 2017, displacing an estimated 25,697 workers — signaling an acceleration from September and up 10% versus October 2016. Filings came from 36 states and territories, with an average of 101 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 62 | 5,864 |
| Pennsylvania | 12 | 2,851 |
| Florida | 14 | 2,533 |
| New York | 35 | 1,862 |
| New Jersey | 10 | 1,819 |
| Missouri | 3 | 1,399 |
| Texas | 18 | 1,322 |
| Georgia | 5 | 704 |
| Illinois | 7 | 685 |
| Iowa | 3 | 645 |
| Wisconsin | 6 | 594 |
| Colorado | 3 | 521 |
| Ohio | 8 | 437 |
| Virginia | 4 | 389 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 352 |
| Indiana | 4 | 327 |
| Washington | 7 | 323 |
| Idaho | 3 | 320 |
| Arizona | 3 | 314 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 285 |
| Oregon | 1 | 277 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 267 |
| Kansas | 4 | 242 |
| North Dakota | 1 | 223 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 211 |
| Michigan | 2 | 173 |
| Maine | 5 | 132 |
| Nebraska | 6 | 126 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 124 |
| Nevada | 1 | 87 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 76 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 69 |
| Vermont | 3 | 62 |
| Delaware | 1 | 51 |
| Minnesota | 3 | 22 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 9 |
California led the nation with 5,864 workers affected across 62 notices , followed by Pennsylvania (2,851 workers) and Florida (2,533 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 57 | 8,334 |
| Healthcare | 51 | 3,264 |
| Retail | 22 | 2,616 |
| Information & Technology | 18 | 2,244 |
| Accommodation & Food | 21 | 2,027 |
| Finance & Insurance | 11 | 1,855 |
| Professional Services | 21 | 1,365 |
| Transportation | 10 | 1,258 |
| Wholesale Trade | 5 | 404 |
| Real Estate | 2 | 255 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 8,334 workers across 57 notices. Notably, Healthcare reported 3,264 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 94 | 8,958 |
| Layoff | 52 | 4,843 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merck Sharp & Dohme | North Wales, Pennsylvania | 1,800 | Closure |
| Blue Apron | Jersey City, New Jersey | 1,270 | |
| TD Ameritrade | St. Louis, Missouri | 1,208 | |
| Nestle USA | Bakersfield, California | 679 | Layoff |
| HealthCare Conglomerate Associates | Tulare, California | 524 | Closure |
| Mosaic Fertilizer | Plant City, Florida | 430 | |
| First Data - Sugar Land | Sugar Land, Texas | 406 | |
| AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa | Des Moines, Iowa | 400 | Layoff |
| Menzies Aviation | Atlanta, Georgia | 298 | |
| Johnson & Johnson | West Chester, Pennsylvania | 297 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Merck Sharp & Dohme in North Wales, Pennsylvania, reporting 1,800 affected workers. Blue Apron followed with 1,270 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate 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 October 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.