US Layoffs — August 2014

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 166 WARN Act notices in August 2014, impacting roughly 19,144 workers — representing a pullback from July and down 21% versus August 2013. Filings came from 27 states and territories, with an average of 115 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 7,055 workers affected across 43 notices , followed by Texas (2,139 workers) and New York (1,384 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 4,988 workers across 44 notices. In a parallel development, Professional Services reported 4,481 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 23% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The single largest action involved Tatitlek in Twentynine Palms, California, reporting 2,562 affected workers. Cox Communications-San Diego followed with 505 workers.

Trend & Outlook

This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.

The data underscores a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in August 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.