US Layoffs — April 2014
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 292 WARN Act notices in April 2014, displacing an estimated 27,527 workers — signaling an acceleration from March and down 13% versus April 2013. Filings came from 29 states and territories, with an average of 94 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 78 | 5,058 |
| California | 73 | 4,569 |
| New Jersey | 19 | 2,031 |
| Alabama | 3 | 1,750 |
| Kentucky | 7 | 1,564 |
| Texas | 12 | 1,370 |
| Georgia | 6 | 1,267 |
| Florida | 8 | 1,219 |
| Arizona | 3 | 1,056 |
| Tennessee | 9 | 895 |
| Illinois | 6 | 860 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 805 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 681 |
| Idaho | 3 | 605 |
| Michigan | 8 | 589 |
| Ohio | 5 | 535 |
| Virginia | 5 | 426 |
| Indiana | 4 | 345 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 331 |
| Mississippi | 6 | 305 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 268 |
| Missouri | 2 | 240 |
| Washington | 1 | 203 |
| Maryland | 1 | 150 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 125 |
| Utah | 2 | 114 |
| Nebraska | 4 | 84 |
| Oregon | 5 | 82 |
| Kansas | 3 | 0 |
New York led the nation with 5,058 workers affected across 78 notices , followed by California (4,569 workers) and New Jersey (2,031 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 85 | 6,995 |
| Healthcare | 58 | 4,256 |
| Transportation | 24 | 3,248 |
| Retail | 21 | 1,988 |
| Information & Technology | 25 | 1,875 |
| Agriculture | 7 | 1,732 |
| Professional Services | 15 | 1,720 |
| Accommodation & Food | 9 | 1,454 |
| Finance & Insurance | 9 | 869 |
| Utilities | 6 | 790 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 6,995 workers across 85 notices. Notably, Healthcare reported 4,256 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 70 | 9,226 |
| Layoff | 79 | 4,556 |
Closures accounted for 34% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillshire Brands | Florence, Alabama | 1,100 | Closure |
| World Airways | Peachtree City, Georgia | 897 | |
| Maricopa Integrated Health System (CCC) | Phoenix, Arizona | 641 | |
| Long Beach Memorial Nursing Home, Inc. d/b/a The Komanoff Center for Geriatric and Rehabilitative Medicine | Long Beach, New York | 611 | Closure |
| Union Underwear Co., Inc. DBA Fruit of the Loom | Bowling Green, Kentucky | 601 | Closure |
| [Unknown - KY] | Jamestown, Kentucky | 601 | Closure |
| Wayne Farms | Dothan, Alabama | 560 | Layoff |
| Star Ledger | Newark, New Jersey | 470 | |
| Intercontinental New York Barclay Hotel | New York, New York | 447 | Closure |
| Express Scripts | Tampa, Florida | 422 |
The most significant filing came from Hillshire Brands in Florence, Alabama, reporting 1,100 affected workers. World Airways followed with 897 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate 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 April 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 LaborCurrent, 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.