US Layoffs — January 2017
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 289 WARN Act notices in January 2017, affecting an estimated 24,954 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to December and down 41% versus January 2016. Filings came from 38 states and territories, with an average of 86 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 70 | 6,978 |
| Texas | 29 | 2,340 |
| New York | 32 | 2,248 |
| Florida | 14 | 1,564 |
| Michigan | 10 | 1,063 |
| Indiana | 4 | 936 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 839 |
| Ohio | 12 | 826 |
| Illinois | 8 | 796 |
| Oklahoma | 9 | 722 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 591 |
| Washington | 5 | 584 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 533 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 415 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 412 |
| North Dakota | 1 | 387 |
| Nebraska | 18 | 381 |
| Georgia | 3 | 377 |
| Alabama | 1 | 332 |
| Oregon | 3 | 272 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | 251 |
| Virginia | 3 | 247 |
| Arizona | 3 | 231 |
| Maryland | 2 | 226 |
| Missouri | 3 | 175 |
| Iowa | 2 | 162 |
| Kansas | 6 | 140 |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 126 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 117 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 116 |
| West Virginia | 3 | 112 |
| Connecticut | 4 | 103 |
| Utah | 1 | 96 |
| Vermont | 2 | 72 |
| Delaware | 1 | 68 |
| Nevada | 1 | 64 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 52 |
| Colorado | 4 | 0 |
California led the nation with 6,978 workers affected across 70 notices , followed by Texas (2,340 workers) and New York (2,248 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 58 | 5,381 |
| Information & Technology | 34 | 5,164 |
| Retail | 60 | 4,731 |
| Accommodation & Food | 16 | 1,756 |
| Transportation | 24 | 1,459 |
| Healthcare | 21 | 1,405 |
| Utilities | 28 | 906 |
| Professional Services | 11 | 809 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 2 | 558 |
| Mining & Energy | 6 | 407 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 5,381 workers across 58 notices. On a related front, Information & Technology reported 5,164 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 89 | 7,412 |
| Closure | 88 | 7,349 |
Closures accounted for 29% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Sportservice | San Diego, California | 1,130 | Closure |
| Verizon Wireless | Rancho Cordova, California | 1,070 | Layoff |
| National Steel and Shipbuilding | San Diego, California | 844 | Layoff |
| United Technologies Electronic Controls | Huntington, Indiana | 738 | |
| Feld Entertainment, Inc. Ringling Bros & Barnum& Bailey | Palmetto, Florida | 462 | |
| Oracle America | Santa Clara, California | 441 | Layoff |
| Memorial Health Services | Long Beach, California | 422 | Layoff |
| Sitel | Albuquerque, New Mexico | 412 | |
| Rust Contractors | Beulah, North Dakota | 387 | |
| Allied Signal, Inc./Honeywell | Metropolis, Illinois | 343 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by San Diego Sportservice in San Diego, California, reporting 1,130 affected workers. Verizon Wireless followed with 1,070 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest 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 January 2017. 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.