US Layoffs — October 2020
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers reported 469 WARN Act notices in October 2020, displacing an estimated 74,031 workers — signaling a deceleration from September and up 93% versus October 2019. Filings came from 40 states and territories, with an average of 158 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 3 | 16,091 |
| Florida | 41 | 13,809 |
| California | 108 | 8,148 |
| Illinois | 68 | 4,466 |
| Hawaii | 14 | 4,025 |
| Pennsylvania | 14 | 3,353 |
| Texas | 17 | 3,038 |
| New York | 42 | 2,690 |
| Washington DC | 5 | 2,553 |
| Georgia | 18 | 2,090 |
| Indiana | 6 | 1,519 |
| Washington | 7 | 1,485 |
| Nevada | 10 | 1,075 |
| Colorado | 6 | 1,054 |
| Tennessee | 8 | 921 |
| Ohio | 11 | 875 |
| Maryland | 11 | 866 |
| Virginia | 4 | 763 |
| Connecticut | 12 | 715 |
| Missouri | 4 | 700 |
| Arizona | 3 | 525 |
| Wisconsin | 12 | 503 |
| Maine | 6 | 313 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 284 |
| Michigan | 4 | 223 |
| Minnesota | 3 | 216 |
| Alabama | 2 | 198 |
| Nebraska | 4 | 188 |
| Kansas | 2 | 175 |
| PR | 1 | 171 |
| Iowa | 3 | 159 |
| Utah | 1 | 124 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 122 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 119 |
| Oregon | 2 | 118 |
| Vermont | 2 | 110 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 102 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 101 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 35 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 9 |
New Jersey led the nation with 16,091 workers affected across 3 notices , followed by Florida (13,809 workers) and California (8,148 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 171 | 19,439 |
| Transportation | 22 | 19,385 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 31 | 13,326 |
| Manufacturing | 59 | 5,808 |
| Finance & Insurance | 13 | 2,981 |
| Healthcare | 29 | 2,622 |
| Professional Services | 17 | 2,171 |
| Information & Technology | 27 | 1,969 |
| Wholesale Trade | 5 | 1,054 |
| Retail | 16 | 1,016 |
The Accommodation & Food sector topped the list of affected industries with 19,439 workers across 171 notices. Notably, Transportation reported 19,385 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 209 | 21,634 |
| Closure | 72 | 6,110 |
| Temporary Closure | 2 | 205 |
Closures accounted for 9% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| united airlines | Newark, New Jersey | 16,000 | |
| Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. Walt Disney World | Lake Buena Vista, Florida | 10,903 | |
| Hilton Hotel Employer HI | Honolulu, Hawaii | 1,935 | Layoff |
| Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority | Washington, Washington DC | 1,604 | Layoff |
| Aramark at Citizen's Bank Park | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1,080 | Layoff |
| 90210 Grand Wailea | Wailea, Hawaii | 1,047 | Layoff |
| Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises | Chicago, Illinois | 977 | |
| Boeing | Seattle, Washington | 940 | |
| Aramark | Denver, Colorado | 904 | |
| Aramark-Minute Maid Park | Houston, Texas | 751 |
The most significant filing came from united airlines in Newark, New Jersey, reporting 16,000 affected workers. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. Walt Disney World followed with 10,903 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The numbers illustrate 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 October 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.