US Layoffs — August 2015
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 323 WARN Act notices in August 2015, covering approximately 48,585 workers — marking a sharp increase from July and up 154% versus August 2014. Filings came from 36 states and territories, with an average of 150 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 27 | 14,272 |
| New Jersey | 100 | 10,511 |
| California | 57 | 5,898 |
| Florida | 6 | 2,030 |
| Texas | 13 | 1,731 |
| Ohio | 5 | 1,482 |
| Illinois | 11 | 1,422 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 1,285 |
| Arizona | 11 | 1,247 |
| Virginia | 3 | 1,174 |
| Georgia | 7 | 1,083 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 716 |
| Connecticut | 4 | 630 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 541 |
| Utah | 2 | 540 |
| Iowa | 4 | 512 |
| Vermont | 7 | 419 |
| Mississippi | 5 | 386 |
| Washington | 7 | 383 |
| Oregon | 1 | 331 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 256 |
| Maryland | 3 | 229 |
| Missouri | 2 | 214 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 213 |
| Delaware | 1 | 203 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 185 |
| Nebraska | 7 | 144 |
| Alabama | 1 | 118 |
| North Dakota | 2 | 112 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 85 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 72 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 70 |
| Michigan | 1 | 63 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 28 |
| Colorado | 5 | 0 |
| Kansas | 1 | 0 |
New York led the nation with 14,272 workers affected across 27 notices , followed by New Jersey (10,511 workers) and California (5,898 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 129 | 24,863 |
| Manufacturing | 64 | 6,781 |
| Accommodation & Food | 14 | 4,080 |
| Mining & Energy | 19 | 3,002 |
| Healthcare | 15 | 2,757 |
| Information & Technology | 22 | 1,909 |
| Professional Services | 8 | 1,196 |
| Wholesale Trade | 6 | 770 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 3 | 644 |
| Transportation | 9 | 580 |
The Retail sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 24,863 workers across 129 notices. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 6,781 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 74 | 20,492 |
| Layoff | 65 | 6,442 |
| Temporary Closure | 2 | 158 |
| Temporary Layoff | 1 | 134 |
Closures accounted for 43% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P) | New York, New York | 5,191 | Closure |
| The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P) | Melville, New York | 4,732 | Closure |
| The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P) | White Plains, New York | 3,174 | Closure |
| Saint Michael's Medical Center | Newark, New Jersey | 1,445 | |
| Gold Key Hotels & Resorts | Virginia Beach, Virginia | 1,000 | Layoff |
| HMS Host Corporation Tampa International Airport | Tampa, Florida | 796 | |
| HMSHost | Tampa, Florida | 796 | |
| USS-POSCO Industries | Pittsburg, California | 661 | Layoff |
| Century Aluminum of Kentucky -Hawesville | Hawesville, Kentucky | 624 | Closure |
| Vectrus | Fort Benning, Georgia | 540 |
Leading the list was The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P) in New York, New York, reporting 5,191 affected workers. The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P) followed with 4,732 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The filings reflect 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 August 2015. 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.