US Layoffs — February 2019
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 312 WARN Act notices in February 2019, displacing an estimated 33,373 workers — signaling an acceleration from January and up 55% versus February 2018. Filings came from 35 states and territories, with an average of 107 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 12 | 5,469 |
| California | 79 | 5,286 |
| Washington | 7 | 2,714 |
| New York | 55 | 2,388 |
| New Jersey | 6 | 1,997 |
| Nevada | 5 | 1,864 |
| Texas | 16 | 1,386 |
| Wisconsin | 7 | 1,082 |
| Colorado | 5 | 982 |
| Ohio | 8 | 981 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 961 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 918 |
| South Carolina | 4 | 640 |
| Minnesota | 14 | 616 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 582 |
| Iowa | 5 | 575 |
| Arizona | 7 | 573 |
| Indiana | 3 | 504 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 467 |
| North Carolina | 7 | 407 |
| Florida | 9 | 400 |
| Maryland | 5 | 370 |
| West Virginia | 3 | 328 |
| Virginia | 5 | 310 |
| Kansas | 2 | 287 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 242 |
| Georgia | 3 | 235 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 150 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 148 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 125 |
| Oregon | 3 | 116 |
| Missouri | 3 | 83 |
| Nebraska | 7 | 69 |
| Vermont | 3 | 61 |
| Hawaii | 2 | 57 |
Michigan led the nation with 5,469 workers affected across 12 notices , followed by California (5,286 workers) and Washington (2,714 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 71 | 8,134 |
| Transportation | 27 | 6,173 |
| Information & Technology | 31 | 3,345 |
| Retail | 28 | 3,219 |
| Accommodation & Food | 15 | 2,998 |
| Healthcare | 30 | 1,503 |
| Professional Services | 19 | 1,287 |
| Finance & Insurance | 23 | 1,248 |
| Agriculture | 4 | 862 |
| Mining & Energy | 6 | 772 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 8,134 workers across 71 notices. Notably, Transportation reported 6,173 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 101 | 12,391 |
| Closure | 120 | 10,725 |
Closures accounted for 32% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Motor Co. - Flat Rock | Flat Rock, Michigan | 3,100 | Layoff |
| New England Motor Freight | Elizabeth, New Jersey | 1,690 | |
| Hard Rock Hotel & Casino | Las Vegas, Nevada | 1,665 | Layoff |
| General Motors - Technical Center | Warren, Michigan | 1,298 | Layoff |
| Valley Fruit III | Wapato, Washington | 1,009 | Closure |
| Larson Orchard Management | Selah, Washington | 807 | Closure |
| ShopKo | De Pere, Wisconsin | 578 | Closure |
| Schenker | Moreno Valley, California | 510 | Closure |
| Advantage Logistics USA West LLC - Fountain | Pikes Peak, Colorado | 475 | |
| New England Motor Freight | Lehighton, Pennsylvania | 450 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Ford Motor Co. - Flat Rock in Flat Rock, Michigan, reporting 3,100 affected workers. New England Motor Freight followed with 1,690 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
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 February 2019. 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.