US Layoffs — September 2019
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 270 WARN Act notices in September 2019, involving roughly 25,175 workers — climbing above August and up 27% versus September 2018. Filings came from 42 states and territories, with an average of 93 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 57 | 6,886 |
| New York | 31 | 1,424 |
| Florida | 12 | 1,090 |
| Texas | 15 | 1,067 |
| Indiana | 5 | 1,054 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 1,043 |
| Minnesota | 13 | 943 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 939 |
| Washington | 8 | 926 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | 788 |
| Virginia | 4 | 766 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 761 |
| Georgia | 6 | 710 |
| Kansas | 8 | 650 |
| Ohio | 14 | 543 |
| New Mexico | 2 | 409 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 376 |
| Michigan | 4 | 376 |
| Connecticut | 4 | 361 |
| Colorado | 4 | 350 |
| Maryland | 8 | 333 |
| South Carolina | 4 | 314 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | 305 |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 288 |
| Oregon | 2 | 273 |
| Maine | 8 | 263 |
| New Jersey | 2 | 247 |
| Iowa | 4 | 238 |
| Illinois | 4 | 236 |
| Alabama | 2 | 196 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 189 |
| Missouri | 2 | 152 |
| Hawaii | 2 | 118 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 95 |
| Nebraska | 6 | 87 |
| Arizona | 2 | 82 |
| Nevada | 1 | 74 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 64 |
| Idaho | 1 | 58 |
| Delaware | 2 | 43 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 42 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 16 |
California led the nation with 6,886 workers affected across 57 notices , followed by New York (1,424 workers) and Florida (1,090 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 87 | 9,563 |
| Information & Technology | 26 | 3,152 |
| Transportation | 17 | 2,782 |
| Retail | 23 | 2,048 |
| Healthcare | 16 | 1,571 |
| Accommodation & Food | 16 | 1,016 |
| Professional Services | 10 | 618 |
| Finance & Insurance | 7 | 386 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 9 | 375 |
| Mining & Energy | 5 | 350 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 9,563 workers across 87 notices. Meanwhile, Information & Technology reported 3,152 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 89 | 9,833 |
| Layoff | 56 | 4,661 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forever 21 Logistics | Los Angeles, California | 1,170 | Closure |
| Alorica | Fresno, California | 799 | Closure |
| Continental Automotive | Charlotte, North Carolina | 650 | Closure |
| USS-POSCO Industries | Pittsburg, California | 575 | Layoff |
| Jabil | San Jose, California | 529 | Closure |
| Goodman Manufacturing Company L.P | Lincoln County, Tennessee | 529 | |
| Bayer US | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 487 | Closure |
| Bayou Steel | LaPlace, Louisiana | 376 | |
| Guest Services | Williamsburg, Virginia | 358 | Layoff |
| Centurion | New Mexico | 344 |
The biggest impact was at Forever 21 Logistics in Los Angeles, California, reporting 1,170 affected workers. Alorica followed with 799 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to 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 September 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.