US Layoffs — September 2018
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers posted 221 WARN Act notices in September 2018, affecting an estimated 19,782 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to August and up 2% versus September 2017. Filings came from 38 states and territories, with an average of 90 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 33 | 2,576 |
| New York | 45 | 2,177 |
| New Jersey | 8 | 1,721 |
| Florida | 12 | 1,439 |
| Missouri | 7 | 1,438 |
| South Carolina | 4 | 1,114 |
| Texas | 12 | 987 |
| Pennsylvania | 6 | 898 |
| Minnesota | 12 | 762 |
| North Carolina | 7 | 686 |
| Illinois | 10 | 681 |
| Georgia | 5 | 480 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 429 |
| Indiana | 3 | 420 |
| Arizona | 4 | 400 |
| Utah | 2 | 390 |
| Nevada | 1 | 372 |
| Michigan | 3 | 347 |
| Iowa | 9 | 284 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 227 |
| Wisconsin | 4 | 224 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 199 |
| Maryland | 2 | 183 |
| Idaho | 1 | 175 |
| Virginia | 1 | 170 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 145 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 115 |
| Alabama | 2 | 113 |
| Colorado | 1 | 107 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 103 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 95 |
| Maine | 2 | 63 |
| Ohio | 1 | 55 |
| Washington | 1 | 53 |
| Oregon | 1 | 52 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 52 |
| Nebraska | 4 | 47 |
| Kansas | 1 | 3 |
California led the nation with 2,576 workers affected across 33 notices , followed by New York (2,177 workers) and New Jersey (1,721 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 47 | 3,645 |
| Information & Technology | 27 | 3,583 |
| Transportation | 13 | 2,769 |
| Retail | 30 | 2,732 |
| Professional Services | 10 | 1,239 |
| Healthcare | 14 | 891 |
| Admin & Support Services | 1 | 782 |
| Finance & Insurance | 20 | 621 |
| Agriculture | 5 | 515 |
| Accommodation & Food | 6 | 442 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 3,645 workers across 47 notices. On a related front, Information & Technology reported 3,583 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 83 | 8,131 |
| Layoff | 51 | 3,066 |
Closures accounted for 41% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABM Aviation | Newark, New Jersey | 821 | |
| Shop 'n Save Warehouse Foods (St. Louis area) | St. Louis, Missouri | 788 | Closure |
| FJC Security Services | New York, New York | 782 | Closure |
| Darrenkamp's | Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 641 | Closure |
| Dhl | Spartanburg, South Carolina | 576 | Layoff |
| Eulen America | Miami, Florida | 500 | |
| Arvato Digital Services | Reno, Nevada | 372 | Closure |
| Jabil | Fremont, California | 343 | Closure |
| The Results Companies | Provo, Utah | 300 | |
| ActionMed Personnel | Thomasville, Georgia | 265 |
The largest notice was filed by ABM Aviation in Newark, New Jersey, reporting 821 affected workers. Shop 'n Save Warehouse Foods (St. Louis area) followed with 788 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in September 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.