US Layoffs — January 2026
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 517 WARN Act notices in January 2026, affecting an estimated 47,672 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to December and up 59% versus January 2025. Filings came from 38 states and territories, with an average of 92 workers per notice.
Weekly Reports
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 155 | 11,473 |
| New Jersey | 39 | 5,847 |
| Washington | 13 | 3,502 |
| Texas | 13 | 2,927 |
| Illinois | 15 | 1,827 |
| Georgia | 11 | 1,810 |
| Virginia | 7 | 1,753 |
| North Carolina | 12 | 1,596 |
| Michigan | 7 | 1,577 |
| Tennessee | 8 | 1,360 |
| Louisiana | 4 | 1,307 |
| Connecticut | 4 | 1,212 |
| Massachusetts | 12 | 1,177 |
| Colorado | 7 | 1,174 |
| Maryland | 13 | 1,121 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 1,026 |
| Florida | 16 | 899 |
| Nebraska | 2 | 588 |
| Ohio | 10 | 564 |
| Minnesota | 69 | 548 |
| South Carolina | 4 | 535 |
| Hawaii | 4 | 522 |
| Iowa | 14 | 458 |
| Oregon | 25 | 427 |
| Wisconsin | 7 | 366 |
| Missouri | 4 | 352 |
| Arizona | 7 | 319 |
| Indiana | 4 | 316 |
| Kentucky | 5 | 239 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 199 |
| Vermont | 2 | 193 |
| Maine | 2 | 116 |
| Alabama | 1 | 79 |
| Kansas | 1 | 72 |
| Utah | 2 | 60 |
| Idaho | 1 | 51 |
| Nevada | 6 | 42 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 38 |
California led the nation with 11,473 workers affected across 155 notices , followed by New Jersey (5,847 workers) and Washington (3,502 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 96 | 14,453 |
| Manufacturing | 104 | 13,442 |
| Transportation | 36 | 4,403 |
| Healthcare | 38 | 2,964 |
| Information & Technology | 31 | 2,716 |
| Professional Services | 33 | 2,486 |
| Finance & Insurance | 29 | 1,774 |
| Accommodation & Food | 57 | 1,553 |
| Wholesale Trade | 12 | 963 |
| Mining & Energy | 10 | 439 |
The Retail sector saw the heaviest impact with 14,453 workers across 96 notices. On a related front, Manufacturing reported 13,442 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 123 | 10,764 |
| Closure | 96 | 7,659 |
Closures accounted for 16% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Various locations in Washington, Washington | 2,198 | Layoff |
| Tyson Foods, Inc (Amarillo B-Shift Operations) Updated | Amarillo, Texas | 1,761 | |
| Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center | Detroit, Michigan | 1,140 | Layoff |
| Macys Cheshire Fulfillment Center | Cheshire, Connecticut | 993 | Closure |
| Amazon | Passaic, New Jersey | 871 | |
| Home Depot U.S.A | Atlanta, Georgia | 797 | |
| Alan Ritchey | Denver, Colorado | 729 | |
| Amazon | Fairfax, Virginia | 691 | Layoff |
| McGlinchey Stafford PLLC | New Orleans, Louisiana | 601 | |
| NIKE Retail Services | Memphis, Tennessee | 583 |
The largest notice was filed by Amazon in Various locations in Washington, Washington, reporting 2,198 affected workers. Tyson Foods, Inc (Amarillo B-Shift Operations) Updated followed with 1,761 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in January 2026. 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.