US Layoffs — September 2020

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 719 WARN Act notices in September 2020, putting at risk an estimated 79,930 workers — up substantially from August and up 219% versus September 2019. Filings came from 44 states and territories, with an average of 111 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 27,039 workers affected across 182 notices , followed by Florida (16,123 workers) and New York (5,150 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Accommodation & Food sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 18,668 workers across 210 notices. Separately, Arts & Entertainment reported 15,613 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 12% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

Topping the list was United Airlines, Inc. - San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California, reporting 6,912 affected workers. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. Walt Disney followed with 6,246 workers.

Trend & Outlook

After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.

These figures highlight mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Accommodation & Food sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in September 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.