US Layoffs — February 2017
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 225 WARN Act notices in February 2017, impacting roughly 25,291 workers — representing a notable rise over January and down 19% versus February 2016. Filings came from 39 states and territories, with an average of 112 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 11 | 4,969 |
| California | 43 | 4,092 |
| Illinois | 7 | 1,545 |
| Indiana | 6 | 1,515 |
| New York | 16 | 1,454 |
| Michigan | 7 | 1,254 |
| Texas | 17 | 1,028 |
| Pennsylvania | 7 | 980 |
| Tennessee | 7 | 878 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 730 |
| Missouri | 5 | 612 |
| Georgia | 7 | 609 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 581 |
| North Dakota | 2 | 491 |
| Florida | 8 | 472 |
| Oregon | 4 | 471 |
| Virginia | 2 | 375 |
| Washington | 3 | 327 |
| Maryland | 3 | 299 |
| Delaware | 2 | 274 |
| Arizona | 3 | 259 |
| New Mexico | 2 | 250 |
| Nebraska | 13 | 250 |
| Mississippi | 5 | 205 |
| District of Columbia | 2 | 180 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 149 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 144 |
| Colorado | 4 | 119 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 116 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 112 |
| Iowa | 6 | 106 |
| Vermont | 4 | 90 |
| Utah | 1 | 77 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 77 |
| Nevada | 1 | 67 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 67 |
| Kansas | 1 | 32 |
| Maine | 1 | 26 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 9 |
Ohio led the nation with 4,969 workers affected across 11 notices , followed by California (4,092 workers) and Illinois (1,545 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 72 | 7,904 |
| Retail | 16 | 2,647 |
| Healthcare | 20 | 2,238 |
| Information & Technology | 24 | 2,185 |
| Professional Services | 21 | 2,049 |
| Transportation | 14 | 1,815 |
| Education | 6 | 1,103 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 2 | 1,014 |
| Agriculture | 3 | 970 |
| Finance & Insurance | 13 | 791 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 7,904 workers across 72 notices. In a parallel development, Retail reported 2,647 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 65 | 8,042 |
| Layoff | 60 | 3,997 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 225 |
| Temporary Layoff | 1 | 100 |
Closures accounted for 33% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo North Assembly Plant | Toledo, Ohio | 3,207 | |
| The Andersons | Maumee, Ohio | 954 | |
| Live Nation Worldwide | Irvine, California | 905 | Closure |
| Sears Store Support | Hoffman Estates, Illinois | 870 | Closure |
| Corizon Health | Indiana | 699 | |
| Sodexo, Inc., Temple University (Johnson & Hardwick Halls) | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 454 | |
| Lowe's | Mooresville, North Carolina | 431 | Layoff |
| Saint Joseph's College | Rensselaer, Indiana | 395 | |
| Rust Contractors | Beulah, North Dakota | 387 | |
| Kraft Heinz Foods | Campbell, New York | 380 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Toledo North Assembly Plant in Toledo, Ohio, reporting 3,207 affected workers. The Andersons followed with 954 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores 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 February 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.