US Layoffs — August 2026, Week 1
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 69 WARN Act notices in August 2026, Week 1, putting at risk an estimated 7,603 workers. Filings came from 22 states and territories, with an average of 110 workers per notice.
69
Total Notices
7,603
Workers Affected
22
States Reporting
110
Avg per Notice
Labor Market Snapshot — United States (DOL/BLS)
4.1%
Unemployment
(August 2026)
153,043
Initial Claims
(2026-09-05 wk)
159075K
Nonfarm Payrolls
(August 2026)
1666K
JOLTS Layoffs
(July 2026)
Top States
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 3 | 1,063 |
| New Jersey | 9 | 866 |
| Illinois | 4 | 773 |
| California | 11 | 773 |
| Ohio | 3 | 699 |
| Texas | 4 | 530 |
| New York | 1 | 471 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 437 |
| Massachusetts | 3 | 396 |
| Washington | 4 | 257 |
| Colorado | 3 | 213 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 206 |
| Oregon | 2 | 191 |
| Arizona | 3 | 176 |
| Maryland | 3 | 132 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 127 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | 94 |
| Alabama | 2 | 88 |
| Florida | 1 | 80 |
| Iowa | 2 | 30 |
| Minnesota | 1 | 1 |
| Maine | 1 | 0 |
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale Trade | 7 | 1,128 |
| Healthcare | 5 | 968 |
| Agriculture | 8 | 816 |
| Manufacturing | 5 | 388 |
| Information & Technology | 4 | 342 |
| Finance & Insurance | 4 | 179 |
| Transportation | 1 | 162 |
| Retail | 1 | 101 |
The Wholesale Trade sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 1,128 workers across 7 notices. Separately, Healthcare reported 968 workers.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wellstar Health System | Marietta, Georgia | 761 | |
| Essendant | Lincolnshire, Illinois | 510 | Closure |
| SDH Services West | Cincinnati, Ohio | 488 | Closure |
| Sky Chefs | Jamaica, New York | 471 | Layoff |
| USA, Inc DBA Hello Fresh | Swedesboro, New Jersey | 374 | |
| TikTok USDS JV | Nashville, Tennessee | 250 | |
| Blueprint Medicines Corporation (aka Sanofi Company Blueprint) | Cambridge, Massachusetts | 229 | |
| Essendant | Atlanta, Georgia | 192 | |
| Enablx, Inc. Rockaway | New Jersey | 187 | |
| 80 Acres Farms | San Antonio, Texas | 166 |
Topping the list was Wellstar Health System in Marietta, Georgia, reporting 761 affected workers. Essendant followed with 510 workers.
This report covers WARN Act filings for Week 1 of August 2026. View the full August 2026 report or download the full dataset.