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US Layoffs — January 2026

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 562 WARN Act notices in January 2026, affecting an estimated 52,530 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to December and up 60% versus January 2025. Filings came from 42 states and territories, with an average of 93 workers per notice.

562
Total Notices
52,530
Workers Affected
42
States Reporting
93
Avg per Notice
133
Closures

Weekly Reports

Week 1
77 notices · 10,100 workers
Week 2
128 notices · 8,827 workers
Week 3
115 notices · 9,606 workers
Week 4
242 notices · 23,997 workers

Top States by Workers Affected

State-by-state layoff summary
StateNoticesWorkers
California15511,473
New Jersey385,846
Texas154,719
Washington133,502
Illinois192,907
New York231,916
Georgia111,810
Virginia71,753
North Carolina141,655
Michigan81,652
Tennessee81,360
Louisiana41,307
Connecticut41,212
Massachusetts121,177
Colorado61,173
Maryland131,121
Pennsylvania91,026
Florida16899
Nebraska2588
Ohio12564
Minnesota70548
South Carolina4535
Hawaii7502
Iowa16487
Oregon25427
Wisconsin7366
Missouri4352
Arizona7319
Indiana4316
Kentucky5239
West Virginia2199
Vermont2193
Alabama179
Kansas272
Utah260
Idaho151
North Dakota147
Nevada440
Rhode Island138
Mississippi20
Maine30
Oklahoma30

California led the nation with 11,473 workers affected across 155 notices , followed by New Jersey (5,846 workers) and Texas (4,719 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

Industry breakdown
IndustryNoticesWorkers
Manufacturing10815,759
Retail10815,709
Transportation363,816
Information & Technology332,891
Healthcare422,885
Finance & Insurance322,681
Professional Services322,539
Accommodation & Food681,592
Wholesale Trade14978
Mining & Energy11483

The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 15,759 workers across 108 notices. On a related front, Retail reported 15,709 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Layoff types breakdown
TypeNoticesWorkers
Layoff14812,481
Closure13311,793

Closures accounted for 22% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

Largest layoff notices
CompanyLocationWorkersType
AmazonVarious locations in Washington, Washington2,198Layoff
Tyson Foods, Inc (Amarillo B-Shift Operations) UpdatedAmarillo, Texas1,761
Tyson Foods, Inc (Amarillo B-Shift Operations) UpdatedAmarillo, Texas1,761
Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly CenterDetroit, Michigan1,140Layoff
Macys Cheshire Fulfillment CenterCheshire, Connecticut993Closure
AmazonPassaic, New Jersey871
Citibank, N.ANew York, New York820Layoff
Home Depot U.S.AAtlanta, Georgia797
Alan RitcheyFort Collins, Colorado729
AmazonFairfax, Virginia691Layoff

The largest notice was filed by Amazon in Various locations in Washington, Washington, reporting 2,198 affected workers. Tyson Foods, Inc (Amarillo B-Shift Operations) Updated followed with 1,761 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 Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in January 2026. 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.

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