US Layoffs — October 2019
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 376 WARN Act notices in October 2019, covering approximately 38,297 workers — marking a sharp increase from September and up 27% versus October 2018. Filings came from 41 states and territories, with an average of 102 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 57 | 5,163 |
| New York | 52 | 5,060 |
| New Jersey | 8 | 1,960 |
| Texas | 18 | 1,728 |
| Arizona | 11 | 1,688 |
| Massachusetts | 6 | 1,611 |
| Illinois | 24 | 1,573 |
| North Carolina | 10 | 1,501 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 1,488 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 1,482 |
| Hawaii | 8 | 1,433 |
| Virginia | 12 | 1,398 |
| Georgia | 13 | 1,284 |
| Washington | 13 | 1,106 |
| Colorado | 11 | 1,086 |
| Minnesota | 18 | 1,080 |
| Nevada | 1 | 750 |
| Ohio | 10 | 742 |
| Missouri | 6 | 657 |
| Florida | 9 | 563 |
| Tennessee | 7 | 534 |
| West Virginia | 3 | 507 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 383 |
| Oregon | 7 | 337 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 319 |
| Wisconsin | 6 | 313 |
| Washington DC | 3 | 308 |
| Iowa | 5 | 266 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 256 |
| Michigan | 4 | 253 |
| Alabama | 2 | 234 |
| Idaho | 1 | 218 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 178 |
| Kansas | 5 | 170 |
| New Mexico | 2 | 170 |
| Nebraska | 9 | 160 |
| Indiana | 1 | 108 |
| Delaware | 1 | 80 |
| Maine | 8 | 63 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 53 |
| Maryland | 1 | 34 |
California led the nation with 5,163 workers affected across 57 notices , followed by New York (5,060 workers) and New Jersey (1,960 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 113 | 10,448 |
| Transportation | 38 | 6,023 |
| Information & Technology | 38 | 3,449 |
| Retail | 35 | 3,299 |
| Healthcare | 21 | 3,123 |
| Accommodation & Food | 46 | 2,980 |
| Professional Services | 14 | 1,801 |
| Mining & Energy | 7 | 1,119 |
| Education | 9 | 1,117 |
| Agriculture | 7 | 1,083 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 10,448 workers across 113 notices. At the same time, Transportation reported 6,023 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 126 | 12,992 |
| Layoff | 89 | 9,141 |
Closures accounted for 34% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| nThrive | Raleigh, North Carolina | 839 | Layoff |
| TFE Logistics Cedar Crest Rd | Spartanburg, South Carolina | 812 | Layoff |
| Transdev | N. Las Vegas, Nevada | 750 | Closure |
| Prime Flight Aviation Services | Newark, New Jersey | 735 | |
| TFE Logistics Falling Creek Rd | Spartanburg, South Carolina | 663 | Layoff |
| St Luke's Medical Center | Phoenix, Arizona | 655 | |
| Barneys New York (Madison Avenue) | New York, New York | 589 | Closure |
| Isabella Visiting Care | New York, New York | 569 | Closure |
| CozyKin | Cambridge, Massachusetts | 548 | |
| DF Opco LLC ("Dari Farms") | Whitman, Massachusetts | 543 |
Leading the list was nThrive in Raleigh, North Carolina, reporting 839 affected workers. TFE Logistics Cedar Crest Rd followed with 812 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The filings reflect 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 October 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 WARN Firehose, 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.