US Layoffs — September 2020
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 752 WARN Act notices in September 2020, putting at risk an estimated 84,184 workers — up substantially from August and up 229% versus September 2019. Filings came from 45 states and territories, with an average of 112 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 182 | 27,039 |
| Florida | 80 | 16,123 |
| New York | 56 | 5,150 |
| Illinois | 58 | 4,621 |
| Hawaii | 73 | 3,593 |
| New Jersey | 13 | 2,288 |
| Nevada | 31 | 1,807 |
| Louisiana | 14 | 1,803 |
| Georgia | 23 | 1,780 |
| Kentucky | 13 | 1,598 |
| Rhode Island | 4 | 1,425 |
| Washington | 10 | 1,384 |
| Ohio | 14 | 1,253 |
| Alaska | 1 | 1,234 |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | 1,200 |
| Michigan | 10 | 1,029 |
| Indiana | 8 | 1,020 |
| Maryland | 6 | 878 |
| North Carolina | 9 | 832 |
| Texas | 16 | 752 |
| Minnesota | 6 | 667 |
| Colorado | 27 | 658 |
| Delaware | 2 | 654 |
| Oregon | 8 | 645 |
| Alabama | 2 | 637 |
| South Carolina | 6 | 534 |
| Wisconsin | 4 | 444 |
| Iowa | 4 | 344 |
| Massachusetts | 7 | 342 |
| Maine | 15 | 309 |
| West Virginia | 4 | 282 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 280 |
| Arizona | 5 | 233 |
| Utah | 2 | 213 |
| Missouri | 1 | 208 |
| Virginia | 3 | 176 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 150 |
| District of Columbia | 2 | 146 |
| New Mexico | 2 | 135 |
| Nebraska | 2 | 98 |
| Idaho | 1 | 75 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 61 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 43 |
| Vermont | 1 | 30 |
| Kansas | 2 | 11 |
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
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 232 | 21,002 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 63 | 16,018 |
| Transportation | 52 | 15,754 |
| Manufacturing | 82 | 7,067 |
| Information & Technology | 56 | 4,722 |
| Retail | 51 | 3,545 |
| Healthcare | 56 | 3,271 |
| Education | 21 | 2,350 |
| Professional Services | 44 | 2,131 |
| Finance & Insurance | 18 | 1,824 |
The Accommodation & Food sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 21,002 workers across 232 notices. Separately, Arts & Entertainment reported 16,018 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 335 | 40,500 |
| Closure | 94 | 11,042 |
| Temporary Layoff | 2 | 92 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 39 |
Closures accounted for 13% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines, Inc. - San Francisco International Airport | San Francisco, California | 6,912 | Layoff |
| Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. Walt Disney | Lake Buena Vista, Florida | 6,246 | |
| SeaWorld of Florida LLC, SWBG Orlando Corporate Operations Group | Orlando, Florida | 1,896 | |
| United Airlines, Inc. - Los Angeles International Airport | Los Angeles, California | 1,750 | Layoff |
| The YMCA of Greater New York (24 NYC sites) | New York, New York | 1,599 | Layoff |
| RavnAir Group, Corvus Airlines, Hageland Aviation Services and Peninsula Aviation Services | Alaska | 1,234 | |
| Universal City Studios, LLC DBA Universal Studios Hollywood | Universal City, California | 1,207 | Layoff |
| WHC Payroll Company DBA Walt Disney World Swan located at 1200 & 1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd | Lake Buena Vista, Florida | 1,136 | |
| Twin River - Lincoln | Lincoln, Rhode Island | 1,043 | |
| SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment LLC DBA Busch Gardens | Tampa, Florida | 948 |
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.