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US Layoffs — August 2026

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 315 WARN Act notices in August 2026, impacting roughly 26,999 workers — representing a pullback from July and down 9% versus August 2025. Filings came from 36 states and territories, with an average of 86 workers per notice.

315
Total Notices
26,999
Workers Affected
36
States Reporting
86
Avg per Notice
59
Closures

Weekly Reports

Week 1
72 notices · 7,970 workers
›
Week 2
75 notices · 7,265 workers
›
Week 3
87 notices · 5,446 workers
›
Week 4
81 notices · 6,318 workers
›

Top States by Workers Affected

State-by-state layoff summary
StateNoticesWorkers
California1305,168
Illinois103,683
Washington162,352
Georgia132,320
New York111,323
Massachusetts101,321
Texas101,036
South Carolina8957
Maryland12872
Ohio5868
New Jersey9866
Florida7728
Utah1723
Virginia5696
Tennessee5629
Oregon5426
Colorado6394
Arizona6364
Alabama6357
Wisconsin6309
Indiana2223
West Virginia1200
Iowa9174
Michigan1156
District of Columbia2141
Kentucky2128
Idaho1106
Delaware1106
Maine1102
Nebraska191
North Carolina173
Missouri161
Minnesota844
South Dakota12
Oklahoma10
Rhode Island10

California led the nation with 5,168 workers affected across 130 notices , followed by Illinois (3,683 workers) and Washington (2,352 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

Industry breakdown
IndustryNoticesWorkers
Manufacturing326,035
Healthcare364,100
Wholesale Trade142,411
Professional Services201,022
Transportation10950
Agriculture11939
Accommodation & Food11817
Admin & Support Services26747
Information & Technology9707
Retail7617

The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 6,035 workers across 32 notices. In a parallel development, Healthcare reported 4,100 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Layoff types breakdown
TypeNoticesWorkers
Layoff1739,129
Closure568,191
Temporary Closure3758
Temporary Layoff2211

Closures accounted for 33% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

Largest layoff notices
CompanyLocationWorkersType
Tyson FoodsHillsdale, Illinois2,495Closure
Borton & SonsYakima, Washington928Layoff
Wellstar Health SystemMarietta, Georgia761
24Hr HomecareLos Angeles, California738Layoff
Tyson Fresh MeatsEagle Mountain, Utah723
Community Healthlink, Inc. (aka CHL)Worcester and Leominster, Massachusetts639
Crothall HealthcareRichmond, Virginia545Closure
EssendantLincolnshire, Illinois510Closure
SDH Services WestCincinnati, Ohio488Closure
Sky ChefsJamaica, New York471Layoff

The single largest action involved Tyson Foods in Hillsdale, Illinois, reporting 2,495 affected workers. Borton & Sons followed with 928 workers.

Trend & Outlook

The data underscores a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in August 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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