Illinois Layoffs — February 2023
Employers in Illinois submitted 7 WARN Act notices in February 2023, putting at risk an estimated 831 workers — down from January and up 784% versus February 2022. The average filing covered 119 workers, with 6 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5 | 637 |
| Transportation | 1 | 125 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 69 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 637 workers across 5 notices. Separately, Transportation reported 125 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Macon | 2 | 402 |
| Lake | 2 | 209 |
| Madison | 1 | 125 |
| McLean | 1 | 69 |
| Kane | 1 | 26 |
Macon was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 48% of all affected workers with 402 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Decatur | 2 | 402 |
| Gurnee | 1 | 169 |
| Edwardsville | 1 | 125 |
| Bloomington | 1 | 69 |
| Vernon Hills | 1 | 40 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 6 | 762 |
| Layoff | 1 | 69 |
The high proportion of closures (92% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Illinois's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akorn Operating | Decatur | 290 | Closure | |
| Akorn Operating | Gurnee | 169 | Closure | |
| Customized Distribution Services | Edwardsville | 125 | Closure | |
| Akorn Operating | Decatur | 112 | Closure | |
| Heritage Operations Group | Bloomington | 69 | Layoff | |
| Akorn Operating | Vernon Hills | 40 | Closure | |
| Cascades Specialty Products Group | Aurora | 26 | Closure |
Topping the list was Akorn Operating at its Decatur facility, reporting 290 affected workers. Akorn Operating followed with 169 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
These figures highlight 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.