US Layoffs — January 2019
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 328 WARN Act notices in January 2019, putting at risk an estimated 31,537 workers — up substantially from December and down 28% versus January 2018. Filings came from 37 states and territories, with an average of 96 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 59 | 6,595 |
| New York | 34 | 3,487 |
| Ohio | 11 | 1,819 |
| Florida | 17 | 1,805 |
| Nevada | 5 | 1,581 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 1,471 |
| Texas | 13 | 1,455 |
| Illinois | 10 | 1,260 |
| Tennessee | 8 | 1,017 |
| Wisconsin | 10 | 960 |
| Louisiana | 5 | 921 |
| Georgia | 8 | 860 |
| New Jersey | 12 | 813 |
| Virginia | 5 | 746 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 727 |
| Missouri | 4 | 610 |
| Michigan | 7 | 601 |
| Minnesota | 12 | 574 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 543 |
| Colorado | 9 | 446 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 440 |
| Connecticut | 6 | 401 |
| Maryland | 4 | 353 |
| Alabama | 2 | 289 |
| Iowa | 4 | 264 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 253 |
| Arizona | 5 | 247 |
| Hawaii | 27 | 238 |
| Nebraska | 14 | 226 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 181 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 147 |
| Oregon | 3 | 80 |
| Washington | 1 | 60 |
| Indiana | 1 | 50 |
| Vermont | 3 | 17 |
| Kansas | 3 | 0 |
| Maine | 1 | 0 |
California led the nation with 6,595 workers affected across 59 notices , followed by New York (3,487 workers) and Ohio (1,819 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 71 | 5,496 |
| Transportation | 25 | 4,473 |
| Retail | 46 | 4,451 |
| Healthcare | 27 | 4,296 |
| Information & Technology | 38 | 3,209 |
| Accommodation & Food | 25 | 2,736 |
| Professional Services | 20 | 1,559 |
| Finance & Insurance | 18 | 1,347 |
| Education | 9 | 733 |
| Construction | 1 | 502 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 5,496 workers across 71 notices. Separately, Transportation reported 4,473 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 120 | 14,889 |
| Layoff | 66 | 5,603 |
Closures accounted for 47% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adventist Health Feather River | Paradise, California | 1,331 | Closure |
| Frias Transportation | Las Vegas, Nevada | 1,097 | Closure |
| Aramark Sports & Entertainment Svcs, LLC Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, Florida | 919 | |
| Thirty One Gifts | Columbus, Ohio | 620 | |
| Georgia Pacific | Zachary, Louisiana | 603 | |
| Schneider Logistics | Elwood, Illinois | 589 | Closure |
| Space Exploration Technologies | Hawthorne, California | 577 | Layoff |
| ABM Aviation Inc.(Delta Airlines at JFK International Airport. Terminals 2 and 4) | Jamaica, New York | 528 | Closure |
| UPMC Pinnacle Lancaster | Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 505 | Closure |
| CB&I Project Services Group | Aiken, South Carolina | 502 | Layoff |
Topping the list was Adventist Health Feather River in Paradise, California, reporting 1,331 affected workers. Frias Transportation followed with 1,097 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
These figures highlight 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 2019. 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.