US Layoffs — April 2016
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 297 WARN Act notices in April 2016, covering approximately 31,299 workers — marking a sharp increase from March and down 17% versus April 2015. Filings came from 38 states and territories, with an average of 105 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 62 | 5,279 |
| Texas | 27 | 3,672 |
| New York | 51 | 3,540 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 1,951 |
| Michigan | 6 | 1,304 |
| Kentucky | 9 | 1,251 |
| North Carolina | 8 | 1,235 |
| Ohio | 8 | 1,216 |
| Louisiana | 7 | 1,135 |
| Wisconsin | 6 | 860 |
| Oregon | 2 | 834 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 804 |
| Illinois | 8 | 802 |
| Florida | 9 | 779 |
| Missouri | 4 | 652 |
| Arizona | 2 | 560 |
| Washington | 3 | 554 |
| Georgia | 6 | 542 |
| Colorado | 7 | 423 |
| Maryland | 3 | 413 |
| Kansas | 8 | 399 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 389 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 334 |
| Iowa | 12 | 330 |
| Connecticut | 5 | 315 |
| Alabama | 1 | 270 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 237 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 231 |
| Virginia | 2 | 221 |
| Indiana | 2 | 166 |
| Washington DC | 3 | 163 |
| New Mexico | 2 | 139 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 84 |
| Idaho | 1 | 76 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 60 |
| Nebraska | 5 | 51 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 17 |
| North Dakota | 1 | 11 |
California led the nation with 5,279 workers affected across 62 notices , followed by Texas (3,672 workers) and New York (3,540 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 82 | 10,757 |
| Retail | 33 | 3,245 |
| Healthcare | 25 | 2,753 |
| Professional Services | 12 | 2,329 |
| Information & Technology | 26 | 2,273 |
| Accommodation & Food | 29 | 2,038 |
| Mining & Energy | 18 | 1,877 |
| Education | 9 | 1,741 |
| Transportation | 18 | 1,337 |
| Finance & Insurance | 19 | 728 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 10,757 workers across 82 notices. At the same time, Retail reported 3,245 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 115 | 11,289 |
| Layoff | 72 | 7,505 |
Closures accounted for 36% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATA - Aerospance Testing Alliance | Arnold Afb, Tennessee | 1,500 | Layoff |
| Red River Army Depot - AECOM- New Boston | New Boston, Texas | 857 | |
| Columbus Castings | Columbus, Ohio | 799 | |
| Intel | Hillsboro, Oregon | 784 | Layoff |
| Kraft Heinz Foods | Madison, Wisconsin | 561 | |
| Fiat Chrysler Automobiles | Sterling Heights, Michigan | 505 | Layoff |
| Chevron Gulf of Mexico | Covington, Louisiana | 465 | |
| Verso Corporation Wickliffe Mill , Beaver Dam Woodyard & Eddyville Woodyard | Paducah, Kentucky | 425 | Closure |
| Cascade Valley Hospital & Clinics | Arlington, Washington | 418 | Closure |
| First Student | Center Moriches, New York | 400 | Closure |
Leading the list was ATA - Aerospance Testing Alliance in Arnold Afb, Tennessee, reporting 1,500 affected workers. Red River Army Depot - AECOM- New Boston followed with 857 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect 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 2016. 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.