US Layoffs — December 2014
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 199 WARN Act notices in December 2014, covering approximately 18,401 workers — marking a sharp increase from November and down 18% versus December 2013. Filings came from 29 states and territories, with an average of 92 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 69 | 5,512 |
| Kentucky | 15 | 2,486 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 1,521 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 1,364 |
| New York | 29 | 840 |
| Florida | 4 | 729 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 585 |
| Ohio | 5 | 513 |
| Arizona | 2 | 475 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 454 |
| Illinois | 4 | 401 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 381 |
| New Jersey | 3 | 358 |
| Georgia | 5 | 353 |
| Virginia | 3 | 310 |
| Texas | 7 | 307 |
| Iowa | 3 | 277 |
| Indiana | 2 | 265 |
| Idaho | 1 | 251 |
| Alabama | 2 | 201 |
| Michigan | 3 | 188 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 156 |
| Maryland | 1 | 143 |
| Missouri | 2 | 120 |
| Washington | 1 | 83 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 60 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 41 |
| Nebraska | 2 | 27 |
| Kansas | 1 | 0 |
California led the nation with 5,512 workers affected across 69 notices , followed by Kentucky (2,486 workers) and Pennsylvania (1,521 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 60 | 5,849 |
| Information & Technology | 33 | 2,840 |
| Mining & Energy | 7 | 1,728 |
| Accommodation & Food | 15 | 1,502 |
| Healthcare | 16 | 1,403 |
| Professional Services | 14 | 1,165 |
| Transportation | 12 | 975 |
| Retail | 9 | 926 |
| Agriculture | 13 | 840 |
| Finance & Insurance | 3 | 223 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 5,849 workers across 60 notices. At the same time, Information & Technology reported 2,840 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 80 | 7,007 |
| Closure | 67 | 5,623 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 89 |
Closures accounted for 31% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) | Research Triangle Park, North Carolina | 900 | Layoff |
| Ensign United States Drilling | Bakersfield, California | 700 | Layoff |
| Highland Mining Company, LLC ("Highland") | Whitesburg, Kentucky | 483 | Layoff |
| Highland Mine 9, 530 French Road, Waverly, Kentucky 42462 | Morganfield, Kentucky | 483 | Layoff |
| General Mills Operations | Lodi, California | 410 | Closure |
| Mineral Park | Golden Valley, Arizona | 383 | |
| Intellisource | Ontario, California | 312 | Closure |
| deb | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 308 | |
| Metro Mobility Management Group | West Palm Beach, Florida | 286 | |
| Kimball Office | Post Falls, Idaho | 251 |
Leading the list was GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, reporting 900 affected workers. Ensign United States Drilling followed with 700 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in December 2014. 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 WARN Firehose, 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.