US Layoffs — December 2016
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 208 WARN Act notices in December 2016, impacting roughly 22,087 workers — representing a pullback from November and down 20% versus December 2015. Filings came from 36 states and territories, with an average of 106 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 2 | 2,540 |
| California | 36 | 2,302 |
| New York | 27 | 1,723 |
| Florida | 7 | 1,465 |
| Virginia | 10 | 1,178 |
| Texas | 13 | 1,075 |
| Maryland | 3 | 935 |
| Washington | 3 | 901 |
| Ohio | 8 | 894 |
| Georgia | 11 | 877 |
| Iowa | 7 | 851 |
| Illinois | 10 | 851 |
| Connecticut | 5 | 845 |
| Pennsylvania | 7 | 827 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 662 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 648 |
| Indiana | 3 | 591 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 382 |
| Nebraska | 15 | 347 |
| Louisiana | 4 | 315 |
| Colorado | 2 | 274 |
| New Jersey | 3 | 193 |
| Oregon | 1 | 186 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 163 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 160 |
| Alabama | 1 | 128 |
| Delaware | 1 | 120 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 113 |
| Arizona | 1 | 107 |
| Utah | 1 | 106 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 96 |
| Maine | 3 | 81 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 74 |
| Vermont | 2 | 37 |
| Kansas | 1 | 30 |
| Missouri | 1 | 10 |
Michigan led the nation with 2,540 workers affected across 2 notices , followed by California (2,302 workers) and New York (1,723 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 46 | 7,277 |
| Information & Technology | 22 | 2,232 |
| Retail | 23 | 2,047 |
| Healthcare | 14 | 1,858 |
| Accommodation & Food | 12 | 1,428 |
| Construction | 3 | 1,127 |
| Mining & Energy | 16 | 1,069 |
| Finance & Insurance | 15 | 1,040 |
| Transportation | 12 | 981 |
| Wholesale Trade | 7 | 803 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 7,277 workers across 46 notices. In a parallel development, Information & Technology reported 2,232 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 70 | 8,024 |
| Layoff | 49 | 3,379 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GM - Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant | Detroit, Michigan | 1,270 | Layoff |
| General Motors | Detroit, Michigan | 1,270 | |
| The Kane | Elkridge, Maryland | 900 | |
| Sitel Operating | Pompano Beach, Florida | 804 | |
| Seattle Sportservice | Seattle, Washington | 761 | Closure |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb | Wallingford, Connecticut | 703 | Closure |
| Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing | Louisville, Kentucky | 648 | Closure |
| Central Iowa Healthcare | Marshalltown, Iowa | 529 | Closure |
| Alliance Casting | Alliance, Ohio | 435 | |
| Williams Cos | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 400 |
The single largest action involved GM - Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant in Detroit, Michigan, reporting 1,270 affected workers. General Motors followed with 1,270 workers.
Trend & Outlook
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 December 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 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.