US Layoffs — January 2014
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 269 WARN Act notices in January 2014, affecting an estimated 25,376 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to December and down 6% versus January 2013. Filings came from 31 states and territories, with an average of 94 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 99 | 6,279 |
| Illinois | 8 | 2,517 |
| New Jersey | 6 | 2,300 |
| New York | 35 | 1,709 |
| Texas | 14 | 1,319 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 1,241 |
| Ohio | 6 | 1,121 |
| Michigan | 4 | 985 |
| Florida | 6 | 915 |
| Mississippi | 8 | 760 |
| Arizona | 6 | 681 |
| Georgia | 7 | 549 |
| Maryland | 5 | 541 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 505 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 448 |
| Idaho | 2 | 440 |
| Virginia | 5 | 439 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 418 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 375 |
| Missouri | 3 | 344 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 314 |
| Indiana | 3 | 269 |
| Utah | 2 | 187 |
| Washington | 5 | 166 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 162 |
| Oregon | 1 | 119 |
| Iowa | 1 | 93 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 68 |
| Nebraska | 2 | 63 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 49 |
| Kansas | 5 | 0 |
California led the nation with 6,279 workers affected across 99 notices , followed by Illinois (2,517 workers) and New Jersey (2,300 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 76 | 7,724 |
| Healthcare | 54 | 4,551 |
| Retail | 31 | 3,890 |
| Information & Technology | 28 | 2,827 |
| Professional Services | 10 | 1,394 |
| Transportation | 14 | 1,358 |
| Finance & Insurance | 20 | 857 |
| Accommodation & Food | 10 | 721 |
| Wholesale Trade | 5 | 488 |
| Other | 2 | 448 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 7,724 workers across 76 notices. On a related front, Healthcare reported 4,551 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 60 | 7,463 |
| Layoff | 44 | 1,899 |
Closures accounted for 29% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| OfficeMax | Itasca, Illinois | 1,750 | Closure |
| St. Mary's Hospital | Passaic, New Jersey | 1,179 | |
| Emanual Medical Center | Turlock, California | 1,166 | |
| Uss-Posco | Pittsburg, California | 690 | |
| Coleman Natural Foods | Fredricksburg, Pennsylvania | 658 | |
| FJC Security Services | Jersey City, New Jersey | 594 | |
| Lockheed Martin | Akron, Ohio | 506 | |
| Heritage Home Group/Lane Furniture | Saltillo, Mississippi | 480 | Closure |
| Teleperformance | Ann Arbor, Michigan | 430 | Closure |
| Center Partners | Idaho Falls, Idaho | 400 |
The largest notice was filed by OfficeMax in Itasca, Illinois, reporting 1,750 affected workers. St. Mary's Hospital followed with 1,179 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest 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 January 2014. 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.