US Layoffs — May 2025
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 424 WARN Act notices in May 2025, affecting an estimated 60,441 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to April and up 20% versus May 2024. Filings came from 40 states and territories, with an average of 143 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 158 | 31,440 |
| Washington | 9 | 2,933 |
| New Jersey | 11 | 2,778 |
| Texas | 49 | 2,765 |
| Florida | 18 | 2,058 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 1,740 |
| Illinois | 13 | 1,733 |
| Georgia | 7 | 1,348 |
| Louisiana | 4 | 1,298 |
| Oregon | 8 | 1,223 |
| Ohio | 15 | 1,052 |
| Virginia | 5 | 1,041 |
| South Carolina | 9 | 970 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 868 |
| Michigan | 6 | 728 |
| Washington DC | 3 | 585 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 574 |
| Massachusetts | 12 | 573 |
| Iowa | 10 | 548 |
| Nevada | 7 | 531 |
| Arizona | 6 | 466 |
| Maryland | 4 | 445 |
| Nebraska | 4 | 344 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 283 |
| Missouri | 1 | 257 |
| Alabama | 3 | 250 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 203 |
| Indiana | 3 | 193 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 186 |
| Minnesota | 18 | 178 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | 158 |
| Kansas | 2 | 129 |
| Colorado | 1 | 125 |
| Hawaii | 1 | 119 |
| Maine | 3 | 108 |
| Alaska | 1 | 72 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 50 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 36 |
| Connecticut | 5 | 33 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 20 |
California led the nation with 31,440 workers affected across 158 notices , followed by Washington (2,933 workers) and New Jersey (2,778 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Admin & Support Services | 1 | 16,132 |
| Professional Services | 32 | 10,144 |
| Manufacturing | 71 | 6,325 |
| Retail | 24 | 4,708 |
| Accommodation & Food | 26 | 3,756 |
| Healthcare | 59 | 2,641 |
| Information & Technology | 24 | 2,150 |
| Mining & Energy | 16 | 1,615 |
| Transportation | 17 | 1,439 |
| Government | 4 | 551 |
The Admin & Support Services sector saw the heaviest impact with 16,132 workers across 1 notice. On a related front, Professional Services reported 10,144 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 107 | 33,704 |
| Layoff | 170 | 13,245 |
Closures accounted for 56% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tend Exchange Subsidiary LLC and Delaware Tender Staffing LLC | California | 16,132 | Closure |
| Tend Exchange Subsidiary LLC and Delaware Tender Staffing | Los Angeles, California | 8,090 | Closure |
| Microsoft | Redmond, Washington | 1,985 | Layoff |
| Rite Aid | Camden, New Jersey | 1,122 | |
| Rite-Aid | Etters, Pennsylvania | 1,096 | Layoff |
| Sodexo | New Orleans, Louisiana | 881 | |
| Chevron (Deauville Blvd) | Midland, Texas | 733 | |
| Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations | Tennessee | 658 | |
| Health Alliance Medical Plans | Champaign, Illinois | 612 | Closure |
| Cleveland-Cliffs | Steelton, Pennsylvania | 559 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by Tend Exchange Subsidiary LLC and Delaware Tender Staffing LLC in California, reporting 16,132 affected workers. Tend Exchange Subsidiary LLC and Delaware Tender Staffing followed with 8,090 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The trends suggest mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Admin & Support Services sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in May 2025. 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.