US Layoffs — November 2020
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers logged 434 WARN Act notices in November 2020, involving roughly 41,450 workers — falling below October and up 54% versus November 2019. Filings came from 39 states and territories, with an average of 96 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 143 | 14,551 |
| New York | 25 | 3,789 |
| Hawaii | 6 | 3,092 |
| Maryland | 24 | 2,729 |
| Illinois | 25 | 1,989 |
| Florida | 33 | 1,753 |
| New Jersey | 21 | 1,414 |
| Georgia | 9 | 1,171 |
| Colorado | 10 | 1,142 |
| Texas | 37 | 1,089 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 1,081 |
| Ohio | 9 | 923 |
| Oregon | 6 | 840 |
| Indiana | 5 | 550 |
| South Carolina | 7 | 546 |
| Missouri | 5 | 495 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 479 |
| Washington | 5 | 434 |
| Michigan | 5 | 429 |
| Arizona | 4 | 427 |
| Virginia | 8 | 388 |
| Connecticut | 5 | 348 |
| Wisconsin | 6 | 320 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 319 |
| Minnesota | 2 | 276 |
| Nevada | 1 | 253 |
| Utah | 2 | 150 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 84 |
| Maine | 1 | 70 |
| Iowa | 2 | 70 |
| Alabama | 1 | 62 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 60 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 28 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 27 |
| Vermont | 1 | 24 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 19 |
| PR | 1 | 16 |
| Kansas | 1 | 8 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 5 |
California led the nation with 14,551 workers affected across 143 notices , followed by New York (3,789 workers) and Hawaii (3,092 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 117 | 10,395 |
| Manufacturing | 52 | 5,466 |
| Transportation | 42 | 4,910 |
| Retail | 38 | 4,492 |
| Healthcare | 48 | 2,811 |
| Government | 9 | 2,252 |
| Information & Technology | 28 | 1,856 |
| Professional Services | 17 | 1,330 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 21 | 1,172 |
| Agriculture | 6 | 883 |
The Accommodation & Food sector dominated layoff filings with 10,395 workers across 117 notices. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 5,466 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 160 | 16,615 |
| Closure | 77 | 8,187 |
| Temporary Layoff | 2 | 376 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 46 |
Closures accounted for 20% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| QSI, Inc. (Times Supermarket) | Honolulu, Hawaii | 1,718 | |
| Bicycle Casino L.P. DBA The Bicycle Hotel & Casino | Bell Gardens, California | 1,500 | Closure |
| Washington Metro Area Transit Authority | Washington, Maryland | 1,150 | Layoff |
| Washington Metro Area Transit Authority | Washington, Maryland | 1,100 | |
| YMCA of Long Beach | Glen Cove, New York | 735 | |
| YMCA of Long Island (6 sites - 2 OB/Nassau & 4 Suffolk) | Glen Cove, New York | 735 | Layoff |
| Don Quijote (USA) | Honolulu, Hawaii | 720 | |
| LAZ Parking California | San Diego, California | 657 | Layoff |
| Gulfstream | Long Beach, California | 608 | Closure |
| Hotel Del Coronado | Coronado, California | 563 | Layoff |
The biggest impact was at QSI, Inc. (Times Supermarket) in Honolulu, Hawaii, reporting 1,718 affected workers. Bicycle Casino L.P. DBA The Bicycle Hotel & Casino followed with 1,500 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
This data points to 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 November 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.