US Layoffs — May 2017

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 266 WARN Act notices in May 2017, involving roughly 29,514 workers — climbing above April and up 8% versus May 2016. Filings came from 34 states and territories, with an average of 111 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 5,025 workers affected across 58 notices , followed by Indiana (2,601 workers) and Texas (2,146 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 10,143 workers across 81 notices. Meanwhile, Retail reported 5,144 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 43% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.

Largest Layoffs

The biggest impact was at Marsh Supermarket in Indianapolis, Indiana, reporting 1,535 affected workers. Menzies Aviation followed with 949 workers.

Trend & Outlook

After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.

This data points to mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in May 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.