US Layoffs — October 2020
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers reported 491 WARN Act notices in October 2020, displacing an estimated 71,589 workers — signaling a deceleration from September and up 86% versus October 2019. Filings came from 41 states and territories, with an average of 146 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 3 | 16,091 |
| Florida | 41 | 13,809 |
| California | 108 | 8,148 |
| Illinois | 77 | 5,676 |
| Pennsylvania | 14 | 3,353 |
| Texas | 17 | 3,038 |
| New York | 42 | 2,690 |
| District of Columbia | 5 | 2,553 |
| Georgia | 18 | 2,090 |
| Indiana | 7 | 1,585 |
| Washington | 7 | 1,485 |
| Nevada | 10 | 1,075 |
| Colorado | 8 | 1,003 |
| Tennessee | 8 | 921 |
| Ohio | 11 | 875 |
| Maryland | 11 | 866 |
| Virginia | 4 | 763 |
| Connecticut | 12 | 715 |
| Missouri | 4 | 700 |
| Arizona | 3 | 525 |
| Wisconsin | 12 | 503 |
| Hawaii | 19 | 350 |
| Minnesota | 5 | 286 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 284 |
| Maine | 6 | 246 |
| Michigan | 4 | 223 |
| Alabama | 2 | 198 |
| Nebraska | 4 | 188 |
| Kansas | 3 | 175 |
| PR | 1 | 171 |
| Iowa | 3 | 159 |
| Utah | 1 | 124 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 122 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 119 |
| Oregon | 2 | 118 |
| Vermont | 2 | 110 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 102 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 101 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 35 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 9 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 5 |
New Jersey led the nation with 16,091 workers affected across 3 notices , followed by Florida (13,809 workers) and California (8,148 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 23 | 19,385 |
| Accommodation & Food | 180 | 16,399 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 31 | 13,326 |
| Manufacturing | 64 | 6,264 |
| Finance & Insurance | 13 | 2,981 |
| Healthcare | 30 | 2,444 |
| Information & Technology | 30 | 2,213 |
| Retail | 27 | 1,976 |
| Professional Services | 17 | 1,870 |
| Wholesale Trade | 7 | 1,498 |
The Transportation sector topped the list of affected industries with 19,385 workers across 23 notices. Notably, Accommodation & Food reported 16,399 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 202 | 18,366 |
| Closure | 88 | 8,107 |
| Temporary Closure | 2 | 205 |
Closures accounted for 12% 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 | 16,000 | |
| Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. Walt Disney World | Lake Buena Vista, Florida | 10,903 | |
| Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority | Washington, District of Columbia | 1,604 | Layoff |
| Aramark at Citizen's Bank Park | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1,080 | Layoff |
| Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises | Chicago, Illinois | 977 | Layoff |
| Boeing | Seattle, Washington | 940 | |
| Aramark | Denver, Colorado | 904 | |
| Aramark-Minute Maid Park | Houston, Texas | 751 | |
| Aramark | Washington, District of Columbia | 738 | |
| Aramark/GM Joint Venture at Wells Fargo Center | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 721 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from united airlines in Newark, New Jersey, reporting 16,000 affected workers. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. Walt Disney World followed with 10,903 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The numbers illustrate 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 October 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.