US Layoffs — April 2017

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers reported 489 WARN Act notices in April 2017, displacing an estimated 29,134 workers — signaling a deceleration from March and down 36% versus April 2016. Filings came from 37 states and territories, with an average of 60 workers per notice.

489
Total Notices
29,134
Workers Affected
37
States Reporting
60
Avg per Notice
141
Closures

Top States by Workers Affected

StateNoticesWorkers
California1117,969
Indiana121,876
Wisconsin91,640
New York341,611
Michigan141,312
Florida441,250
Iowa131,229
North Carolina51,197
Kentucky261,122
Oklahoma141,049
Texas251,041
Ohio19670
Oregon4614
New Jersey25603
Virginia10602
Tennessee6572
Pennsylvania14554
Louisiana9459
Delaware2430
Georgia4413
Connecticut6400
Nevada1327
Alaska2298
Alabama4286
Arizona5275
Idaho6261
Washington4254
South Carolina2200
Maine14163
Utah2138
Mississippi4120
Nebraska2298
Kansas346
Vermont130
Missouri216
West Virginia19
Illinois100

California led the nation with 7,969 workers affected across 111 notices , followed by Indiana (1,876 workers) and Wisconsin (1,640 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

IndustryNoticesWorkers
Transportation193,042
Retail982,176
Manufacturing271,836
Healthcare241,706
Other241,630
Education3911
Information & Technology13901
Accommodation & Food5640
Finance & Insurance11469
Utilities6347

The Transportation sector topped the list of affected industries with 3,042 workers across 19 notices. Notably, Retail reported 2,176 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

TypeNoticesWorkers
Closure14010,164
Layoff846,086
Temporary Closure164

Closures accounted for 35% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

CompanyLocationWorkersType
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Wake Forest University Health SciencesWinston-Salem, North Carolina755Layoff
First TransitOceanside, California538Closure
First TransitOceanside, California538Closure
AmgenThousand Oaks, California494Layoff
AmgenThousand Oaks, California494Layoff
VF Outdoor, LLCAppleton, Wisconsin380
VF Outdoor, LLCAppleton, Wisconsin380
First TransitPomona, California372Closure
First TransitPomona, California372Closure
UNR Med Integrated Clinical Services, IncLas Vegas, Nevada327Closure

The most significant filing came from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Wake Forest University Health Sciences in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, reporting 755 affected workers. First Transit followed with 538 workers.

Trend & Outlook

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

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in April 2017. 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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