The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 371 WARN Act notices in August 2016, displacing an estimated 37,055 workers — signaling an acceleration from July and down 42% versus August 2015. Filings came from 38 states and territories, with an average of 100 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 76 | 9,565 |
| New Jersey | 14 | 4,006 |
| Texas | 31 | 1,665 |
| Indiana | 15 | 1,451 |
| New York | 19 | 1,379 |
| Oregon | 6 | 1,322 |
| Connecticut | 8 | 1,290 |
| Iowa | 26 | 1,250 |
| Ohio | 14 | 1,110 |
| Colorado | 10 | 1,046 |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 906 |
| Louisiana | 4 | 867 |
| Alabama | 4 | 812 |
| Florida | 14 | 784 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 765 |
| Virginia | 7 | 756 |
| North Carolina | 7 | 747 |
| Illinois | 7 | 712 |
| Tennessee | 10 | 702 |
| Maryland | 6 | 700 |
| Arizona | 10 | 688 |
| Kansas | 12 | 576 |
| Missouri | 8 | 532 |
| Idaho | 3 | 516 |
| Georgia | 6 | 400 |
| New Mexico | 2 | 388 |
| Washington | 4 | 360 |
| South Carolina | 4 | 356 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 276 |
| Utah | 3 | 255 |
| Michigan | 2 | 212 |
| Washington DC | 2 | 134 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 127 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 125 |
| Vermont | 3 | 98 |
| Nebraska | 10 | 94 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 73 |
| Maine | 1 | 10 |
California led the nation with 9,565 workers affected across 76 notices , followed by New Jersey (4,006 workers) and Texas (1,665 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 27 | 3,814 |
| Healthcare | 30 | 2,410 |
| Other | 14 | 1,319 |
| Mining & Energy | 15 | 1,058 |
| Accommodation & Food | 9 | 736 |
| Transportation | 2 | 650 |
| Retail | 7 | 621 |
| Information & Technology | 8 | 611 |
| Finance & Insurance | 13 | 413 |
| Construction | 2 | 323 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 3,814 workers across 27 notices. Notably, Healthcare reported 2,410 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 89 | 9,042 |
| Closure | 71 | 8,521 |
| Temporary Layoff | 3 | 267 |
Closures accounted for 23% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trump Taj Mahal Assoc, LLC | Atlantic City, New Jersey | 2,848 | |
| Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc | Colton, California | 900 | Closure |
| Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc | Colton, California | 900 | Closure |
| Cisco Systems, Inc | San Jose, California | 899 | Layoff |
| Cisco Systems, Inc | San Jose, California | 899 | Layoff |
| Manitowoc Cranes | Manitowoc, Wisconsin | 528 | Closure |
| CSC Holdings, LLC | Shelton, Connecticut | 482 | Closure |
| CSC Holdings, LLC | Shelton, Connecticut | 482 | |
| Dyncorp International- Sheppard Flight Support System | Sheppard AFB, Texas | 479 | |
| Chevron Gulf of Mexico | Covington, Louisiana | 465 |
The most significant filing came from Trump Taj Mahal Assoc, LLC in Atlantic City, New Jersey, reporting 2,848 affected workers. Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc followed with 900 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate 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 August 2016. 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. Download the full dataset or explore state-by-state data.
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