US Layoffs — March 2018
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 307 WARN Act notices in March 2018, affecting an estimated 28,907 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to February and up 2% versus March 2017. Filings came from 36 states and territories, with an average of 94 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 38 | 4,739 |
| Virginia | 45 | 4,390 |
| New York | 68 | 2,305 |
| North Carolina | 15 | 2,118 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 2,058 |
| Florida | 11 | 1,885 |
| Wisconsin | 10 | 1,810 |
| Pennsylvania | 12 | 1,163 |
| South Carolina | 5 | 700 |
| Texas | 12 | 695 |
| Minnesota | 7 | 649 |
| Maryland | 6 | 614 |
| Georgia | 6 | 566 |
| Illinois | 5 | 518 |
| Nevada | 3 | 462 |
| Missouri | 4 | 460 |
| Ohio | 2 | 431 |
| Oregon | 11 | 423 |
| Arizona | 2 | 417 |
| Alabama | 3 | 340 |
| Washington | 4 | 314 |
| Michigan | 3 | 298 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 243 |
| Indiana | 1 | 207 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 206 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 169 |
| Vermont | 2 | 150 |
| Idaho | 1 | 136 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 128 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 108 |
| Nebraska | 7 | 89 |
| Maine | 5 | 79 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 35 |
| Iowa | 1 | 2 |
| Colorado | 2 | 0 |
| Kansas | 3 | 0 |
California led the nation with 4,739 workers affected across 38 notices , followed by Virginia (4,390 workers) and New York (2,305 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 65 | 6,707 |
| Retail | 33 | 5,799 |
| Information & Technology | 36 | 3,218 |
| Agriculture | 36 | 3,060 |
| Healthcare | 42 | 2,028 |
| Professional Services | 17 | 1,785 |
| Transportation | 13 | 1,443 |
| Finance & Insurance | 9 | 1,198 |
| Utilities | 6 | 907 |
| Accommodation & Food | 13 | 740 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 6,707 workers across 65 notices. On a related front, Retail reported 5,799 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 174 | 15,763 |
| Layoff | 60 | 3,709 |
Closures accounted for 55% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seneca Foods | Modesto, California | 1,975 | Closure |
| Toys R Us | Wayne, New Jersey | 1,159 | |
| Nielsen | Oldsmar, Florida | 724 | |
| Wells Fargo (Winterville) | Winterville, North Carolina | 593 | Closure |
| Dish Network | Christiansburg, Virginia | 570 | Closure |
| JC Penny | Wauwatosa, Wisconsin | 520 | Closure |
| Penney OpCo LLC DBA JCPenney | Wauwatosa, Wisconsin | 520 | |
| Riverbend Foods | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 512 | Closure |
| Toys R Us | Flanders, New Jersey | 473 | |
| Rockwell Collins | Tucson, Arizona | 413 |
The largest notice was filed by Seneca Foods in Modesto, California, reporting 1,975 affected workers. Toys R Us followed with 1,159 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest 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 March 2018. 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.