US Layoffs — July 2021

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 168 WARN Act notices in July 2021, involving roughly 16,559 workers — climbing above June and down 88% versus July 2020. Filings came from 32 states and territories, with an average of 99 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 2,776 workers affected across 62 notices , followed by Illinois (1,935 workers) and New Jersey (1,614 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 4,104 workers across 38 notices. Meanwhile, Transportation reported 2,571 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 24% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The biggest impact was at United Airlines in Newark, New Jersey, reporting 796 affected workers. People's United Bank/M&T Bank followed with 747 workers.

Trend & Outlook

This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.

This data points to a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in July 2021. 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.