US Layoffs — February 2018
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers recorded 219 WARN Act notices in February 2018, covering approximately 21,591 workers — marking a decline from January and down 11% versus February 2017. Filings came from 36 states and territories, with an average of 99 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 42 | 3,486 |
| Texas | 23 | 2,749 |
| Ohio | 12 | 2,040 |
| Indiana | 6 | 1,385 |
| Alabama | 4 | 1,131 |
| Florida | 9 | 1,112 |
| Iowa | 4 | 959 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 804 |
| Georgia | 6 | 691 |
| Colorado | 5 | 674 |
| New York | 16 | 635 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 564 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 469 |
| Michigan | 3 | 456 |
| New Jersey | 3 | 443 |
| Missouri | 3 | 417 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 409 |
| Washington | 7 | 407 |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 402 |
| Nevada | 4 | 343 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 272 |
| Virginia | 4 | 228 |
| Oregon | 2 | 191 |
| Nebraska | 12 | 178 |
| Maine | 7 | 167 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 165 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 151 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 123 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 121 |
| Arizona | 2 | 92 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 80 |
| West Virginia | 3 | 79 |
| Utah | 1 | 77 |
| Maryland | 2 | 60 |
| Vermont | 2 | 16 |
| Minnesota | 1 | 15 |
California led the nation with 3,486 workers affected across 42 notices , followed by Texas (2,749 workers) and Ohio (2,040 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 62 | 4,393 |
| Finance & Insurance | 18 | 2,755 |
| Information & Technology | 23 | 2,153 |
| Accommodation & Food | 18 | 2,136 |
| Healthcare | 12 | 1,918 |
| Professional Services | 19 | 1,822 |
| Retail | 18 | 1,441 |
| Transportation | 13 | 1,245 |
| Utilities | 5 | 339 |
| Wholesale Trade | 5 | 298 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 4,393 workers across 62 notices. At the same time, Finance & Insurance reported 2,755 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 77 | 6,529 |
| Layoff | 50 | 4,116 |
Closures accounted for 30% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transamerica Life Ins | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | 863 | Layoff |
| Fca US | Toledo, Ohio | 852 | |
| Centerplate | Santa Clara, California | 759 | Layoff |
| Corizon Health | Alabama | 648 | Closure |
| DHL Supply Chain | Greenfield, Indiana | 511 | |
| Transamerica Life Insurance | St. Petersburg, Florida | 465 | |
| Hart-Hanks-Texarkana | Texarkana, Texas | 460 | |
| Molded Fiber Glass Companies | Aberdeen, South Dakota | 409 | |
| Comcast | Alpharetta, Georgia | 405 | |
| Tyson Foods | San Diego, California | 401 | Closure |
Leading the list was Transamerica Life Ins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, reporting 863 affected workers. Fca US followed with 852 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The filings reflect 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 February 2018. 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.