US Layoffs — April 2018
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 245 WARN Act notices in April 2018, impacting roughly 31,277 workers — representing a notable rise over March and up 61% versus April 2017. Filings came from 34 states and territories, with an average of 128 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 57 | 6,022 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | 4,695 |
| New York | 41 | 3,889 |
| Ohio | 6 | 2,769 |
| Michigan | 12 | 1,724 |
| Texas | 12 | 1,715 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 1,501 |
| Iowa | 15 | 1,052 |
| Connecticut | 5 | 841 |
| Georgia | 6 | 782 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 770 |
| Missouri | 5 | 634 |
| Arizona | 3 | 625 |
| Minnesota | 10 | 470 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 431 |
| New Mexico | 3 | 396 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 388 |
| Washington | 5 | 354 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 335 |
| Utah | 3 | 308 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 240 |
| Indiana | 2 | 218 |
| Alabama | 3 | 214 |
| Kansas | 3 | 190 |
| Nebraska | 10 | 148 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 147 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 94 |
| Florida | 3 | 93 |
| Virginia | 1 | 69 |
| Nevada | 1 | 62 |
| Maryland | 1 | 60 |
| Maine | 1 | 31 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 9 |
| Montana | 1 | 1 |
California led the nation with 6,022 workers affected across 57 notices , followed by Wisconsin (4,695 workers) and New York (3,889 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 42 | 9,067 |
| Manufacturing | 43 | 5,334 |
| Information & Technology | 35 | 2,975 |
| Healthcare | 15 | 1,704 |
| Accommodation & Food | 10 | 1,570 |
| Education | 9 | 1,398 |
| Transportation | 12 | 1,272 |
| Finance & Insurance | 17 | 1,025 |
| Professional Services | 6 | 985 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 2 | 830 |
The Retail sector led the way in workforce reductions with 9,067 workers across 42 notices. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 5,334 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 109 | 13,934 |
| Layoff | 67 | 5,591 |
Closures accounted for 45% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bon Ton Stores (Younkers, Boston Store, BonTon) | Brookfield, Wisconsin | 2,255 | Closure |
| Younkers | Brookfield, Wisconsin | 2,255 | |
| MZL Home Care Agency | Brooklyn, New York | 1,535 | Closure |
| General Motors | Warren, Ohio | 1,500 | |
| Qualcomm | San Diego, California | 1,231 | Layoff |
| University Hospital & Clinics | Lafayette, Louisiana | 770 | |
| Bon Ton | Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 656 | Closure |
| San Diego Gaming Ventures | Jamul, California | 650 | Layoff |
| Express Scripts | Columbus, Ohio | 456 | |
| Elder-Beerman & Bon-Ton Fulfillment Center (The Bon-Ton Stores Inc) | Dayton, Ohio | 452 |
The single largest action involved Bon Ton Stores (Younkers, Boston Store, BonTon) in Brookfield, Wisconsin, reporting 2,255 affected workers. Younkers followed with 2,255 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in April 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.