US Layoffs — August 2020

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 777 WARN Act notices in August 2020, impacting roughly 81,230 workers — representing a pullback from July and up 284% versus August 2019. Filings came from 45 states and territories, with an average of 105 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 14,923 workers affected across 189 notices , followed by Florida (12,987 workers) and New York (5,132 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Accommodation & Food sector led the way in workforce reductions with 27,510 workers across 238 notices. In a parallel development, Transportation reported 10,680 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 9% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The single largest action involved MSG Entertainment Group, LLC and its affiliates MSG Arena, LLC; and Radio City Productions LLC) (6 NYC sites) in New York, New York, reporting 2,083 affected workers. Hawaiian Airlines followed with 2,037 workers.

Trend & Outlook

The data underscores a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Accommodation & Food sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in August 2020. 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.