US Layoffs — March 2024
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers posted 339 WARN Act notices in March 2024, affecting an estimated 28,565 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to February and down 16% versus March 2023. Filings came from 39 states and territories, with an average of 84 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 117 | 7,228 |
| Iowa | 10 | 1,828 |
| Illinois | 14 | 1,639 |
| Florida | 11 | 1,558 |
| North Carolina | 12 | 1,524 |
| Michigan | 9 | 1,235 |
| New Jersey | 8 | 1,234 |
| Georgia | 6 | 1,002 |
| Ohio | 9 | 923 |
| Texas | 10 | 683 |
| Maryland | 17 | 678 |
| Kentucky | 5 | 665 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 613 |
| Nevada | 6 | 600 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | 555 |
| Arizona | 10 | 499 |
| Missouri | 3 | 491 |
| Washington | 4 | 480 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 465 |
| Washington DC | 3 | 462 |
| Oregon | 8 | 420 |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 411 |
| South Carolina | 5 | 372 |
| Massachusetts | 5 | 343 |
| Minnesota | 19 | 312 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 311 |
| Hawaii | 7 | 283 |
| Montana | 3 | 261 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 243 |
| Colorado | 6 | 242 |
| Utah | 4 | 228 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 175 |
| Idaho | 1 | 127 |
| Indiana | 4 | 111 |
| Alabama | 1 | 100 |
| Virginia | 1 | 86 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 79 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 64 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 35 |
California led the nation with 7,228 workers affected across 117 notices , followed by Iowa (1,828 workers) and Illinois (1,639 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 70 | 7,932 |
| Transportation | 28 | 3,635 |
| Information & Technology | 43 | 3,205 |
| Retail | 21 | 2,698 |
| Professional Services | 18 | 1,930 |
| Healthcare | 25 | 1,652 |
| Accommodation & Food | 22 | 1,386 |
| Education | 8 | 1,052 |
| Mining & Energy | 4 | 530 |
| Finance & Insurance | 6 | 437 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 7,932 workers across 70 notices. On a related front, Transportation reported 3,635 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 99 | 10,122 |
| Layoff | 121 | 7,999 |
Closures accounted for 35% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyson Foods | Perry, Iowa | 1,276 | Closure |
| Nordstrom | San Bernardino, California | 784 | Closure |
| Northrop Grumman | Redondo Beach, California | 731 | Layoff |
| Jacobs MacDill AFB | Tampa, Florida | 536 | |
| Logistics Insight | Detroit, Michigan | 447 | Closure |
| Sodexo, Inc. and Affiliates Tulane University | New Orleans, Louisiana | 434 | |
| Elite Staffing at Hearthside Food Solutions | Romeoville, Illinois | 376 | Layoff |
| Cabrini University | Radnor, Pennsylvania | 363 | Closure |
| UPS | Ontario, California | 333 | Layoff |
| Missouri Central School Bus (MCSB) | St. Louis, Missouri | 332 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by Tyson Foods in Perry, Iowa, reporting 1,276 affected workers. Nordstrom followed with 784 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The trends suggest a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in March 2024. 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.