US Layoffs — February 2020
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 367 WARN Act notices in February 2020, impacting roughly 40,491 workers — representing a pullback from January and up 6% versus February 2019. Filings came from 42 states and territories, with an average of 110 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 55 | 8,076 |
| New York | 67 | 3,688 |
| Illinois | 26 | 2,894 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 2,300 |
| Texas | 15 | 2,134 |
| Florida | 29 | 1,818 |
| New Jersey | 12 | 1,703 |
| Tennessee | 10 | 1,591 |
| Washington | 8 | 1,484 |
| Oregon | 7 | 1,231 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 1,230 |
| Alabama | 4 | 1,153 |
| Indiana | 3 | 1,046 |
| North Carolina | 13 | 931 |
| Ohio | 8 | 833 |
| Michigan | 6 | 784 |
| Minnesota | 9 | 721 |
| Virginia | 4 | 665 |
| Utah | 4 | 609 |
| Mississippi | 9 | 598 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 531 |
| Wisconsin | 9 | 524 |
| Massachusetts | 4 | 494 |
| Iowa | 6 | 480 |
| Kentucky | 5 | 420 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 347 |
| Arizona | 3 | 310 |
| Hawaii | 4 | 279 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 262 |
| Maryland | 3 | 198 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 174 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 147 |
| Montana | 2 | 134 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 125 |
| Missouri | 1 | 125 |
| Vermont | 2 | 105 |
| Nevada | 1 | 96 |
| Idaho | 1 | 93 |
| Colorado | 3 | 82 |
| Georgia | 7 | 46 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 30 |
| Kansas | 2 | 0 |
California led the nation with 8,076 workers affected across 55 notices , followed by New York (3,688 workers) and Illinois (2,894 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 53 | 6,646 |
| Accommodation & Food | 30 | 6,594 |
| Retail | 74 | 6,106 |
| Manufacturing | 57 | 4,164 |
| Healthcare | 25 | 3,409 |
| Professional Services | 24 | 3,104 |
| Information & Technology | 35 | 2,806 |
| Education | 6 | 1,789 |
| Finance & Insurance | 16 | 1,201 |
| Mining & Energy | 6 | 656 |
The Transportation sector led the way in workforce reductions with 6,646 workers across 53 notices. In a parallel development, Accommodation & Food reported 6,594 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 138 | 14,215 |
| Layoff | 100 | 10,894 |
| Temporary Layoff | 2 | 127 |
| Temporary Closure | 3 | 110 |
Closures accounted for 35% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waitr | Lake Charles, Louisiana | 2,300 | |
| Concordia University | Portland, Oregon | 1,012 | Closure |
| Hilton Hotel Employer LLC, DBA Hilton San Francisco Union Square | San Francisco, California | 923 | Layoff |
| Macy's | San Francisco, California | 831 | Closure |
| Brock Services | Kingsport, Tennessee | 824 | |
| Marriott Hotel Services inc, DBA San Francisco Marriott Marquis | San Francisco, California | 808 | Layoff |
| Fairmont Regional Medical Center | Fairmont, West Virginia | 528 | Closure |
| Durham School Services | Indianapolis, Indiana | 514 | |
| Metis TPS | Hawaiian Gardens, California | 500 | Layoff |
| Brodrick Baptiste | Hackensack, New Jersey | 500 |
The single largest action involved Waitr in Lake Charles, Louisiana, reporting 2,300 affected workers. Concordia University followed with 1,012 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Transportation sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in February 2020. 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.