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US Layoffs — March 2014

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 268 WARN Act notices in March 2014, putting at risk an estimated 26,784 workers — up substantially from February and down 8% versus March 2013. Filings came from 33 states and territories, with an average of 100 workers per notice.

268
Total Notices
26,784
Workers Affected
33
States Reporting
100
Avg per Notice
61
Closures

Top States by Workers Affected

State-by-state layoff summary
StateNoticesWorkers
California757,320
New York533,152
Texas141,727
Mississippi61,699
Virginia91,216
Tennessee12968
Florida7958
Utah3808
Iowa2797
Ohio10765
North Carolina5695
Maryland5580
Kentucky2542
Michigan4507
Louisiana4473
New Jersey5429
Missouri4411
Alabama2381
Oklahoma3355
Illinois4354
South Carolina3347
Indiana4312
Georgia7287
Vermont2248
Connecticut4233
Idaho1206
Pennsylvania3200
Arizona1187
Kansas8160
Oregon2155
New Hampshire1139
Washington192
Nebraska281

California led the nation with 7,320 workers affected across 75 notices , followed by New York (3,152 workers) and Texas (1,727 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

Industry breakdown
IndustryNoticesWorkers
Manufacturing697,434
Information & Technology364,524
Accommodation & Food163,176
Transportation282,383
Professional Services162,101
Healthcare311,991
Retail161,168
Finance & Insurance161,045
Education8985
Utilities7487

The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 7,434 workers across 69 notices. Separately, Information & Technology reported 4,524 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Layoff types breakdown
TypeNoticesWorkers
Closure617,402
Layoff675,066

Closures accounted for 28% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

Largest layoff notices
CompanyLocationWorkersType
Harrah's CasinoRobinsonville, Mississippi1,300Closure
Ups-North Bay(Richmond) HubRichmond, California1,073
Northrop GrummanFort Irwin, California860
General Dynamics ITSandy, Utah645
Hillshire BrandsStorm Lake, Iowa542Closure
SprintFort Worth, Texas453
Sprint-Ft WorthFort Worth, Texas450
Sprint Customer Service CenterAltamonte Springs, Florida399
ConAgra Foods Inc. aka The Carriage House CompaniesFredonia, New York395Closure
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide-LancasterLancaster, California380

Topping the list was Harrah's Casino in Robinsonville, Mississippi, reporting 1,300 affected workers. Ups-North Bay(Richmond) Hub followed with 1,073 workers.

Trend & Outlook

This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.

These figures highlight 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 March 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.

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