US Layoffs — May 2015
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers submitted 262 WARN Act notices in May 2015, putting at risk an estimated 23,319 workers — down from April and down 20% versus May 2014. Filings came from 31 states and territories, with an average of 89 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 90 | 4,535 |
| Texas | 23 | 3,375 |
| New York | 33 | 3,227 |
| New Jersey | 11 | 1,326 |
| Michigan | 4 | 1,123 |
| Tennessee | 7 | 1,055 |
| Georgia | 9 | 988 |
| Florida | 7 | 808 |
| Pennsylvania | 7 | 661 |
| Ohio | 4 | 558 |
| Maryland | 2 | 534 |
| Louisiana | 4 | 531 |
| Missouri | 4 | 529 |
| Colorado | 8 | 529 |
| Oklahoma | 6 | 463 |
| Kentucky | 5 | 420 |
| Montana | 1 | 341 |
| Vermont | 7 | 297 |
| Arizona | 3 | 291 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 251 |
| Virginia | 2 | 227 |
| Nebraska | 3 | 218 |
| Indiana | 2 | 216 |
| Iowa | 4 | 208 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 120 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 111 |
| Kansas | 2 | 101 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 100 |
| Washington | 1 | 90 |
| Connecticut | 5 | 76 |
| Utah | 1 | 10 |
California led the nation with 4,535 workers affected across 90 notices , followed by Texas (3,375 workers) and New York (3,227 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 71 | 5,754 |
| Healthcare | 26 | 3,913 |
| Transportation | 22 | 2,427 |
| Information & Technology | 18 | 1,550 |
| Government | 4 | 1,275 |
| Professional Services | 9 | 1,263 |
| Finance & Insurance | 15 | 1,120 |
| Retail | 14 | 1,100 |
| Mining & Energy | 8 | 834 |
| Education | 33 | 784 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 5,754 workers across 71 notices. Separately, Healthcare reported 3,913 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 90 | 7,328 |
| Layoff | 69 | 4,698 |
| Temporary Layoff | 1 | 104 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiller | Detroit, Michigan | 846 | Closure |
| Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services - Residences and Day Habilitation | Brooklyn, New York | 719 | Closure |
| Envoy Air | Jamaica, New York | 693 | Closure |
| Conduit Global | Cordova, Tennessee | 592 | Layoff |
| Gulf Marine Fabricators - Aransas Pass | Aransas Pass, Texas | 554 | |
| Hi-Desert Memorial Health Care | Joshua Tree, California | 541 | Layoff |
| TIC Energy & Chemical, Inc-(TEC) -Freeport | Freeport, Texas | 500 | |
| Safran Labinal Power Systems | Salisbury, Maryland | 480 | |
| Lackmann Culinary Services c/o Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York | 386 | Closure |
| Aig | Alpharetta, Georgia | 365 |
Topping the list was Hiller in Detroit, Michigan, reporting 846 affected workers. Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services - Residences and Day Habilitation followed with 719 workers.
Trend & Outlook
These figures highlight 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 May 2015. 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.