Illinois Layoffs — March 2020
Employers in Illinois reported 221 WARN Act notices in March 2020, displacing an estimated 33,005 workers — signaling an acceleration from February. The average filing covered 149 workers, with 46 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 119 | 23,323 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 31 | 2,395 |
| Manufacturing | 13 | 1,952 |
| Information & Technology | 16 | 1,690 |
| Real Estate | 9 | 1,001 |
| Retail | 6 | 814 |
| Transportation | 7 | 505 |
| Professional Services | 8 | 383 |
The Accommodation & Food sector topped the list of affected industries with 23,323 workers across 119 notices. Notably, Arts & Entertainment reported 2,395 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Cook | 163 | 25,973 |
| DuPage | 21 | 1,666 |
| Will | 5 | 1,074 |
| Clark | 1 | 675 |
| Kane | 6 | 643 |
Cook felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 79% of all affected workers with 25,973 workers across 163 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 74 | 14,395 |
| South State Street | 26 | 1,893 |
| South Michigan Avenue | 4 | 1,838 |
| West O'Hare Ave | 5 | 1,818 |
| Northridge Drive | 1 | 950 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 160 | 22,511 |
| Closure | 46 | 8,217 |
Closures accounted for 25% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Host (O'Hare) | West O'Hare Ave | 1,400 | Closure | |
| Hyatt | South Michigan Avenue | 1,009 | Closure | |
| SMG Food & Beverage | Chicago | 990 | Layoff | |
| Delaware North Companies, Inc. DBA Illinois Sportservice, Inc | Chicago | 973 | Layoff | |
| HTRS Services | Northridge Drive | 950 | Layoff | |
| Hilton Hotel Employer LLC DBA Hilton Chicago Magnificent Mile | Chicago | 696 | Layoff | |
| Des Plaines Development Limited Partnership | N. Joliet Street | 694 | ||
| Sheraton Operating | Chicago | 683 | Layoff | |
| ZF Group | Chicago | 675 | Closure | |
| Thor Palmer House Hotel LLC DBA Palmer House Hilton | Chicago | 669 | Layoff | |
| Marriott International | Chicago | 571 | Layoff | |
| Peninsula Hotel | Chicago | 568 | Closure | |
| Chicago Hotel Services | North Michigan Avenue | 538 | Layoff | |
| Southern Illinois Riverboat Casino Cruises | Metropolis | 438 | Closure | |
| Hyatt | South Michigan Avenue | 403 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from HMS Host (O'Hare) at its West O'Hare Ave facility, reporting 1,400 affected workers. Hyatt followed with 1,009 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the Illinois labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Accommodation & Food sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Illinois. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all Illinois WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.