US Layoffs — February 2019
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 326 WARN Act notices in February 2019, displacing an estimated 38,509 workers — signaling an acceleration from January and up 76% versus February 2018. Filings came from 37 states and territories, with an average of 118 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 11 | 5,891 |
| Michigan | 12 | 5,469 |
| California | 79 | 5,286 |
| Washington | 7 | 2,714 |
| New York | 56 | 2,388 |
| New Jersey | 6 | 1,997 |
| Nevada | 5 | 1,864 |
| Texas | 16 | 1,386 |
| Wisconsin | 7 | 1,082 |
| Ohio | 8 | 981 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 961 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 918 |
| South Carolina | 4 | 640 |
| Minnesota | 15 | 616 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 582 |
| Iowa | 5 | 575 |
| Arizona | 7 | 573 |
| Indiana | 3 | 504 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 467 |
| North Carolina | 7 | 407 |
| Florida | 9 | 400 |
| Maryland | 5 | 370 |
| West Virginia | 3 | 328 |
| Virginia | 5 | 310 |
| Kansas | 2 | 287 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 242 |
| Georgia | 3 | 235 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 150 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 148 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 125 |
| Colorado | 5 | 116 |
| Oregon | 3 | 116 |
| Idaho | 1 | 111 |
| Missouri | 3 | 83 |
| Nebraska | 7 | 69 |
| Vermont | 3 | 61 |
| Hawaii | 2 | 57 |
Illinois led the nation with 5,891 workers affected across 11 notices , followed by Michigan (5,469 workers) and California (5,286 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 81 | 12,723 |
| Transportation | 33 | 6,119 |
| Information & Technology | 37 | 3,901 |
| Accommodation & Food | 24 | 3,292 |
| Retail | 29 | 3,275 |
| Healthcare | 31 | 1,576 |
| Finance & Insurance | 29 | 1,570 |
| Professional Services | 21 | 1,342 |
| Wholesale Trade | 10 | 966 |
| Agriculture | 4 | 862 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 12,723 workers across 81 notices. Notably, Transportation reported 6,119 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 107 | 17,073 |
| Closure | 127 | 12,105 |
Closures accounted for 31% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrysler Group | Belvidere, Illinois | 4,335 | Layoff |
| Ford Motor Co. - Flat Rock | Flat Rock, Michigan | 3,100 | Layoff |
| New England Motor Freight | Elizabeth, New Jersey | 1,690 | |
| Hard Rock Hotel & Casino | Las Vegas, Nevada | 1,665 | Layoff |
| General Motors - Technical Center | Warren, Michigan | 1,298 | Layoff |
| Valley Fruit III | Wapato, Washington | 1,009 | Closure |
| Larson Orchard Management | Selah, Washington | 807 | Closure |
| ShopKo | De Pere, Wisconsin | 578 | Closure |
| Schenker | Moreno Valley, California | 510 | Closure |
| New England Motor Freight | Lehighton, Pennsylvania | 450 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Chrysler Group in Belvidere, Illinois, reporting 4,335 affected workers. Ford Motor Co. - Flat Rock followed with 3,100 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate 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 February 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.