Illinois Layoffs — July 2021
Employers in Illinois recorded 18 WARN Act notices in July 2021, covering approximately 1,935 workers — marking a sharp increase from June and down 84% versus July 2020. The average filing covered 108 workers, with 7 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 11 | 983 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 335 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 237 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 201 |
| Retail | 3 | 179 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 983 workers across 11 notices. At the same time, Information & Technology reported 335 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Cook | 10 | 1,247 |
| Winnebago | 2 | 325 |
| Kane | 2 | 160 |
| DeKalb | 2 | 128 |
| Lake | 2 | 75 |
Cook was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 64% of all affected workers with 1,247 workers across 10 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 6 | 836 |
| Rockton | 2 | 325 |
| Arlington Heights | 1 | 237 |
| Aurora | 2 | 160 |
| Genoa | 2 | 128 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 7 | 730 |
| Layoff | 1 | 123 |
Closures accounted for 38% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | Chicago | 300 | ||
| Arlington Park Racecourse | Arlington Heights | 237 | Closure | |
| Aramark | Chicago | 201 | ||
| Chemtool | Rockton | 174 | Closure | |
| Chemtool | Rockton | 151 | ||
| Morton Salt | Chicago | 124 | ||
| Morton Salt | Chicago | 123 | Layoff | |
| Henry Pratt | Aurora | 112 | Closure | |
| Walmart | Des Plaines | 78 | ||
| Greenlee Tools | Genoa | 64 | Closure | |
| Greenlee Textron | Genoa | 64 | ||
| Uniqlo | Chicago | 53 | ||
| Corsicana Bedding | Aurora | 48 | Closure | |
| Surefit Home Decor | Wheeling | 48 | Closure | |
| Protect-A-Bed | Wheeling | 48 |
Leading the list was AT&T at its Chicago facility, reporting 300 affected workers. Arlington Park Racecourse followed with 237 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect a mixed picture for Illinois's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing 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.