US Layoffs — July 2020
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 964 WARN Act notices in July 2020, affecting an estimated 145,965 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to June and up 494% versus July 2019. Filings came from 47 states and territories, with an average of 151 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 265 | 28,425 |
| Illinois | 83 | 20,888 |
| Florida | 74 | 10,738 |
| New York | 45 | 9,704 |
| New Jersey | 11 | 8,363 |
| Michigan | 23 | 6,484 |
| Nevada | 28 | 4,479 |
| Indiana | 22 | 4,124 |
| Texas | 45 | 4,044 |
| Virginia | 8 | 3,740 |
| Ohio | 40 | 3,504 |
| North Carolina | 16 | 3,457 |
| Hawaii | 36 | 3,263 |
| Oregon | 18 | 2,834 |
| Missouri | 8 | 2,819 |
| Washington | 14 | 2,719 |
| West Virginia | 6 | 2,445 |
| Kansas | 7 | 2,280 |
| Arizona | 7 | 2,229 |
| Oklahoma | 6 | 1,916 |
| Louisiana | 9 | 1,482 |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 1,450 |
| Wisconsin | 13 | 1,414 |
| South Carolina | 10 | 1,400 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 1,339 |
| Kentucky | 13 | 1,148 |
| Tennessee | 10 | 1,074 |
| Georgia | 11 | 1,029 |
| Massachusetts | 6 | 917 |
| Connecticut | 7 | 727 |
| Alabama | 6 | 689 |
| Minnesota | 10 | 578 |
| Iowa | 6 | 525 |
| District of Columbia | 3 | 508 |
| Nebraska | 7 | 414 |
| New Mexico | 4 | 409 |
| Alaska | 2 | 395 |
| PR | 2 | 379 |
| Utah | 4 | 371 |
| Colorado | 29 | 291 |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 205 |
| North Dakota | 3 | 200 |
| Delaware | 1 | 169 |
| Maryland | 3 | 141 |
| Maine | 9 | 138 |
| Mississippi | 13 | 98 |
| Idaho | 1 | 20 |
California led the nation with 28,425 workers affected across 265 notices , followed by Illinois (20,888 workers) and Florida (10,738 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 137 | 48,244 |
| Accommodation & Food | 289 | 44,528 |
| Manufacturing | 131 | 17,571 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 60 | 6,008 |
| Information & Technology | 59 | 4,974 |
| Retail | 66 | 4,550 |
| Healthcare | 57 | 4,543 |
| Utilities | 13 | 3,245 |
| Professional Services | 32 | 3,057 |
| Mining & Energy | 13 | 2,187 |
The Transportation sector saw the heaviest impact with 48,244 workers across 137 notices. On a related front, Accommodation & Food reported 44,528 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 443 | 68,887 |
| Closure | 148 | 26,923 |
| Temporary Layoff | 12 | 4,639 |
| Temporary Closure | 4 | 300 |
Closures accounted for 19% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | Newark, New Jersey | 7,264 | |
| United Airlines | Chicago, Illinois | 4,968 | Closure |
| United Airlines (Washington Dulles International Airport) | Dulles, Virginia | 3,036 | Layoff |
| American Airlines | Chicago, Illinois | 2,995 | Closure |
| MotorCity Casino Hotel | Detroit, Michigan | 2,554 | Layoff |
| American Airlines | Flushing, New York | 2,301 | Temporary Layoff |
| Rosen Hotels & Resorts | Orlando, Florida | 1,948 | |
| American Airlines, Inc. - Los Angeles International Airport | Los Angeles, California | 1,890 | Layoff |
| Northrop Grumman | Independence, Missouri | 1,700 | Layoff |
| Delaware North | Detroit, Michigan | 1,696 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by United Airlines in Newark, New Jersey, reporting 7,264 affected workers. United Airlines followed with 4,968 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Transportation sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in July 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 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.