US Layoffs — August 2017
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 219 WARN Act notices in August 2017, impacting roughly 26,746 workers — representing a notable rise over July and up 5% versus August 2016. Filings came from 38 states and territories, with an average of 122 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 4 | 4,678 |
| California | 46 | 4,256 |
| Wisconsin | 7 | 2,351 |
| Illinois | 10 | 1,719 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 1,275 |
| Texas | 16 | 1,264 |
| New York | 21 | 1,246 |
| Nevada | 4 | 1,236 |
| Florida | 8 | 754 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 707 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 677 |
| Oregon | 2 | 671 |
| Michigan | 5 | 577 |
| Ohio | 4 | 481 |
| Nebraska | 4 | 466 |
| Georgia | 8 | 445 |
| Mississippi | 5 | 419 |
| Maryland | 6 | 346 |
| Virginia | 4 | 336 |
| Missouri | 2 | 308 |
| District of Columbia | 1 | 268 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 268 |
| Iowa | 5 | 235 |
| Indiana | 3 | 224 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 221 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 217 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 184 |
| North Dakota | 1 | 173 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 156 |
| Kansas | 4 | 137 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 129 |
| Alabama | 1 | 96 |
| Washington | 1 | 74 |
| Arizona | 2 | 73 |
| Idaho | 1 | 45 |
| Minnesota | 1 | 29 |
| Maine | 2 | 5 |
| Colorado | 1 | 0 |
South Carolina led the nation with 4,678 workers affected across 4 notices , followed by California (4,256 workers) and Wisconsin (2,351 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 64 | 6,882 |
| Professional Services | 15 | 5,182 |
| Information & Technology | 29 | 3,450 |
| Retail | 16 | 2,391 |
| Transportation | 13 | 1,863 |
| Utilities | 13 | 1,608 |
| Healthcare | 12 | 1,052 |
| Construction | 9 | 776 |
| Accommodation & Food | 10 | 687 |
| Wholesale Trade | 9 | 589 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 6,882 workers across 64 notices. In a parallel development, Professional Services reported 5,182 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 82 | 11,048 |
| Layoff | 59 | 9,480 |
Closures accounted for 41% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluor | Jenkinsville, South Carolina | 4,003 | Layoff |
| Gordy's Chippewa Foods | Arcadia, Wisconsin | 1,008 | Closure |
| PAE Applied Technologies | Las Vegas, Nevada | 807 | Layoff |
| Appleton Coated | Combined Locks, Wisconsin | 620 | Closure |
| Westinghouse Electric | Jenkinsville, South Carolina | 561 | Closure |
| Nestle | Glendale, California | 498 | Closure |
| Nike | Beaverton, Oregon | 490 | Layoff |
| Wells Fargo | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | 468 | Closure |
| Quest Nutrition | Hacienda, California | 402 | Closure |
| Dole Food | Watsonville, California | 402 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Fluor in Jenkinsville, South Carolina, reporting 4,003 affected workers. Gordy's Chippewa Foods followed with 1,008 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores 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 August 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.