US Layoffs — March 2022
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 172 WARN Act notices in March 2022, involving roughly 16,184 workers — climbing above February and down 18% versus March 2021. Filings came from 32 states and territories, with an average of 94 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 69 | 4,839 |
| Ohio | 9 | 1,425 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 965 |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 610 |
| Texas | 8 | 593 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | 586 |
| South Dakota | 3 | 562 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 521 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 521 |
| South Carolina | 4 | 502 |
| Indiana | 4 | 481 |
| Illinois | 6 | 470 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 444 |
| Maryland | 8 | 333 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 320 |
| Georgia | 3 | 317 |
| Florida | 5 | 304 |
| Michigan | 2 | 303 |
| Washington | 2 | 300 |
| Nevada | 7 | 279 |
| Idaho | 1 | 271 |
| Virginia | 3 | 269 |
| Iowa | 2 | 182 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | 174 |
| Oregon | 1 | 163 |
| Utah | 2 | 121 |
| Hawaii | 2 | 95 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 79 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 79 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 47 |
| Minnesota | 2 | 20 |
| Colorado | 1 | 9 |
California led the nation with 4,839 workers affected across 69 notices , followed by Ohio (1,425 workers) and New Jersey (965 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 44 | 3,784 |
| Healthcare | 18 | 2,302 |
| Information & Technology | 16 | 1,968 |
| Transportation | 10 | 975 |
| Retail | 6 | 925 |
| Education | 4 | 586 |
| Professional Services | 8 | 530 |
| Accommodation & Food | 7 | 494 |
| Utilities | 6 | 292 |
| Finance & Insurance | 10 | 292 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 3,784 workers across 44 notices. Meanwhile, Healthcare reported 2,302 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 64 | 6,818 |
| Layoff | 59 | 4,006 |
| Temporary Layoff | 1 | 36 |
Closures accounted for 42% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watsonville Community Hospital | Watsonville, California | 658 | Closure |
| Mammoth Tech | Defiance, New Hampshire | 521 | Closure |
| Mammoth Tech | Defiance, Ohio | 521 | |
| Zulily | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | 504 | Layoff |
| Xtend Healthcare | Newark, New Jersey | 400 | |
| Teva Parental Medicines | Hughes Irvine, California | 305 | Closure |
| Wal-Mart #3610 | Louisville, Kentucky | 296 | Closure |
| Aramark – SDSU | Brookings, South Dakota | 278 | |
| Aramark (BSU) | Boise, Idaho | 271 | |
| Mountain State Carbon | Follansbee, West Virginia | 265 | Closure |
The biggest impact was at Watsonville Community Hospital in Watsonville, California, reporting 658 affected workers. Mammoth Tech followed with 521 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
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 March 2022. 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.