Massachusetts Layoffs — August 2023
Employers in Massachusetts logged 11 WARN Act notices in August 2023, involving roughly 1,380 workers — climbing above July and up 77% versus August 2022. The average filing covered 125 workers, with 0 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 5 | 714 |
| Manufacturing | 5 | 636 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 30 |
The Healthcare sector dominated layoff filings with 714 workers across 5 notices. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 636 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 5 | 577 |
| Boston | 3 | 348 |
| Hampden | 1 | 305 |
| Norfolk | 2 | 150 |
Middlesex absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 42% of all affected workers with 577 workers across 5 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | 3 | 348 |
| Chicopee | 1 | 305 |
| Lowell | 1 | 251 |
| Waltham | 1 | 175 |
| Canton | 1 | 86 |
Layoff Type Analysis
Layoff type classification was not available for filings in Massachusetts this month.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matheson Flight Extenders | Chicopee | 305 | ||
| Lowell General Hospital | Lowell | 251 | ||
| Tufts Medical Center | Boston | 242 | ||
| Apellis Pharmaceuticals | Waltham | 175 | ||
| Emergent Biosolutions | Canton | 86 | ||
| MelroseWakefield Hospital | Melrose | 81 | ||
| CVS Health | Boston | 76 | ||
| Web Industries | Holliston | 68 | ||
| CVS Health | Wellesley | 64 | ||
| WayForth | Boston | 30 | ||
| ImmunityBio | Woburn | 2 |
The biggest impact was at Matheson Flight Extenders at its Chicopee facility, reporting 305 affected workers. Lowell General Hospital followed with 251 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to mounting pressure on the Massachusetts labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Healthcare 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.