US Layoffs — December 2019
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 240 WARN Act notices in December 2019, impacting roughly 21,219 workers — representing a pullback from November and down 15% versus December 2018. Filings came from 33 states and territories, with an average of 88 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 27 | 2,176 |
| New York | 31 | 1,713 |
| Florida | 9 | 1,612 |
| Alaska | 5 | 1,424 |
| Michigan | 3 | 1,381 |
| Arizona | 10 | 1,242 |
| New Jersey | 11 | 1,043 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 970 |
| Minnesota | 20 | 897 |
| Illinois | 12 | 885 |
| Maryland | 17 | 883 |
| Georgia | 7 | 786 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 715 |
| Washington | 5 | 696 |
| Hawaii | 4 | 518 |
| Massachusetts | 7 | 473 |
| South Carolina | 6 | 443 |
| Virginia | 5 | 359 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | 357 |
| Nevada | 2 | 316 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 315 |
| Texas | 8 | 312 |
| Kansas | 6 | 274 |
| Missouri | 2 | 248 |
| Iowa | 5 | 248 |
| West Virginia | 4 | 238 |
| Nebraska | 12 | 160 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 159 |
| Maine | 2 | 107 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 101 |
| Colorado | 1 | 92 |
| Ohio | 1 | 59 |
| Utah | 1 | 17 |
California led the nation with 2,176 workers affected across 27 notices , followed by New York (1,713 workers) and Florida (1,612 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 59 | 5,424 |
| Mining & Energy | 12 | 2,707 |
| Professional Services | 17 | 2,118 |
| Retail | 32 | 2,113 |
| Information & Technology | 15 | 1,377 |
| Healthcare | 11 | 1,304 |
| Accommodation & Food | 19 | 1,204 |
| Transportation | 16 | 924 |
| Real Estate | 4 | 325 |
| Construction | 4 | 318 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 5,424 workers across 59 notices. In a parallel development, Mining & Energy reported 2,707 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 76 | 7,062 |
| Layoff | 30 | 1,988 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 132 |
Closures accounted for 34% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Steel | Ecorse, Michigan | 1,286 | Closure |
| Halliburton | El Reno, Oklahoma | 808 | |
| Cognizant | Phoenix, Arizona | 602 | |
| Cognizant | Tampa, Florida | 556 | |
| Alorica | Tampa, Florida | 482 | |
| PAE Visa Support Services (VSS) | Kentucky | 425 | Layoff |
| Golden Island Jerky | Rancho Cucamonga, California | 371 | Closure |
| BP America | Anchorage, Alaska | 345 | |
| British Petroleum | Alaska | 345 | |
| Costa Del Mar | Daytona Beach, Florida | 295 |
The single largest action involved U.S. Steel in Ecorse, Michigan, reporting 1,286 affected workers. Halliburton followed with 808 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The data underscores 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 December 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.