US Layoffs — May 2023

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers logged 381 WARN Act notices in May 2023, involving roughly 29,340 workers — falling below April and up 95% versus May 2022. Filings came from 41 states and territories, with an average of 77 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 10,528 workers affected across 180 notices , followed by Texas (2,137 workers) and Illinois (1,698 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 7,187 workers across 62 notices. Meanwhile, Information & Technology reported 4,886 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 30% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The biggest impact was at Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream in Bakersfield, California, reporting 1,015 affected workers. EDP Enterprises followed with 948 workers.

Trend & Outlook

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 May 2023. 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.