Massachusetts Layoffs — January 2023
Employers in Massachusetts reported 4 WARN Act notices in January 2023, displacing an estimated 1,180 workers — signaling an acceleration from December and up 432% versus January 2022. The average filing covered 295 workers, with 0 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 1 | 932 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 133 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 58 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 57 |
The Retail sector topped the list of affected industries with 932 workers across 1 notice. Notably, Professional Services reported 133 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | 2 | 989 |
| Middlesex | 1 | 133 |
| Bristol | 1 | 58 |
Boston saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 84% of all affected workers with 989 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | 2 | 989 |
| Billerica | 1 | 133 |
| Taunton | 1 | 58 |
Layoff Type Analysis
Layoff type classification was not available for filings in Massachusetts this month.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayfair | Boston | 932 | ||
| EMD Serono Research & Development Institute | Billerica | 133 | ||
| SimpliSafe | Taunton | 58 | ||
| Starry | Boston | 57 |
The most significant filing came from Wayfair at its Boston facility, reporting 932 affected workers. EMD Serono Research & Development Institute followed with 133 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the Massachusetts labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Massachusetts. 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 Massachusetts WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.