US Layoffs — August 2019
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 266 WARN Act notices in August 2019, displacing an estimated 24,949 workers — signaling an acceleration from July and up 6% versus August 2018. Filings came from 38 states and territories, with an average of 94 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 19 | 3,959 |
| California | 35 | 3,515 |
| Texas | 21 | 2,120 |
| New York | 23 | 1,486 |
| Ohio | 9 | 1,395 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 1,076 |
| Washington | 6 | 963 |
| Florida | 14 | 916 |
| Indiana | 9 | 833 |
| West Virginia | 4 | 791 |
| North Carolina | 10 | 733 |
| Oregon | 6 | 697 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 680 |
| Georgia | 5 | 532 |
| Arizona | 5 | 528 |
| Louisiana | 5 | 487 |
| Minnesota | 11 | 480 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 447 |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 382 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 371 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 363 |
| Colorado | 6 | 304 |
| Nebraska | 15 | 285 |
| Virginia | 2 | 275 |
| Michigan | 5 | 257 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 160 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 144 |
| Kansas | 7 | 120 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 115 |
| Iowa | 6 | 87 |
| Delaware | 2 | 85 |
| Alabama | 1 | 72 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 72 |
| Maryland | 1 | 66 |
| Idaho | 1 | 62 |
| Utah | 1 | 52 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 25 |
| Maine | 2 | 14 |
Illinois led the nation with 3,959 workers affected across 19 notices , followed by California (3,515 workers) and Texas (2,120 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 76 | 7,139 |
| Healthcare | 27 | 4,325 |
| Information & Technology | 33 | 2,629 |
| Transportation | 17 | 2,269 |
| Retail | 21 | 1,772 |
| Wholesale Trade | 14 | 1,325 |
| Construction | 9 | 801 |
| Finance & Insurance | 13 | 753 |
| Education | 2 | 680 |
| Utilities | 13 | 674 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 7,139 workers across 76 notices. Notably, Healthcare reported 4,325 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 93 | 11,932 |
| Layoff | 57 | 3,995 |
Closures accounted for 48% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Island Hospital | Blue Island, Illinois | 814 | Closure |
| XPO Logistics Supply Chain | Manteno, Illinois | 755 | Closure |
| Ohio Valley Medical Center | Wheeling, West Virginia | 736 | Closure |
| Briggs & Stratton | Murray, Kentucky | 628 | Closure |
| Nix Home Care Facility | San Antonio, Texas | 585 | |
| NORPAC FOODS INC - Stayton Plant | Stayton, Oregon | 485 | Closure |
| Del Monte Foods | Mendota, Illinois | 473 | Closure |
| Zovio & Ashford University Building | San Diego, California | 415 | Layoff |
| La-Z-Boy | Redlands, California | 351 | Closure |
| East Ohio Valley Regional Hospital | Martin's Ferry, Ohio | 343 |
The most significant filing came from Blue Island Hospital in Blue Island, Illinois, reporting 814 affected workers. XPO Logistics Supply Chain followed with 755 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
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 August 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.