US Layoffs — August 2019
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers reported 246 WARN Act notices in August 2019, displacing an estimated 21,159 workers — signaling a deceleration from July and down 11% versus August 2018. Filings came from 37 states and territories, with an average of 86 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 35 | 3,515 |
| Texas | 21 | 2,120 |
| New York | 23 | 1,486 |
| Ohio | 9 | 1,395 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 1,076 |
| Washington | 6 | 963 |
| Florida | 14 | 916 |
| Indiana | 9 | 833 |
| West Virginia | 4 | 791 |
| North Carolina | 10 | 733 |
| Oregon | 6 | 697 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 680 |
| Georgia | 5 | 532 |
| Arizona | 5 | 528 |
| Louisiana | 5 | 487 |
| Minnesota | 11 | 480 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 447 |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 382 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 371 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 363 |
| Colorado | 5 | 304 |
| Kansas | 7 | 289 |
| Nebraska | 15 | 285 |
| Virginia | 2 | 275 |
| Michigan | 5 | 257 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 160 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 144 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 115 |
| Iowa | 6 | 87 |
| Delaware | 2 | 85 |
| Alabama | 1 | 72 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 72 |
| Maryland | 1 | 66 |
| Idaho | 1 | 62 |
| Utah | 1 | 52 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 25 |
| Maine | 2 | 14 |
California led the nation with 3,515 workers affected across 35 notices , followed by Texas (2,120 workers) and New York (1,486 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 63 | 5,162 |
| Healthcare | 24 | 3,411 |
| Information & Technology | 26 | 2,070 |
| Transportation | 14 | 1,280 |
| Wholesale Trade | 11 | 1,122 |
| Retail | 15 | 1,072 |
| Construction | 9 | 801 |
| Education | 2 | 680 |
| Utilities | 13 | 674 |
| Finance & Insurance | 9 | 582 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 5,162 workers across 63 notices. Notably, Healthcare reported 3,411 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 77 | 8,164 |
| Layoff | 52 | 3,804 |
Closures accounted for 39% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Valley Medical Center | Wheeling, West Virginia | 736 | Closure |
| Briggs & Stratton | Kentucky | 628 | Closure |
| Nix Home Care Facility | San Antonio, Texas | 585 | |
| NORPAC FOODS INC - Stayton Plant | Stayton, Oregon | 485 | Closure |
| Zovio & Ashford University Building | San Diego, California | 415 | Layoff |
| La-Z-Boy | Redlands, California | 351 | Closure |
| East Ohio Valley Regional Hospital | Martin's Ferry, Ohio | 343 | |
| Musser's Market | Quarryville, Pennsylvania | 327 | Closure |
| Seneca Foods | Yakima, Washington | 300 | Closure |
| CWD, LLC DBA Centric Parts | Carson, California | 286 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, West Virginia, reporting 736 affected workers. Briggs & Stratton followed with 628 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate 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 August 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.