US Layoffs — April 2017
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers reported 318 WARN Act notices in April 2017, displacing an estimated 21,089 workers — signaling a deceleration from March and down 33% versus April 2016. Filings came from 37 states and territories, with an average of 66 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 74 | 4,937 |
| Illinois | 14 | 1,668 |
| New York | 33 | 1,601 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 1,197 |
| Texas | 15 | 1,110 |
| Indiana | 6 | 938 |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 853 |
| Florida | 20 | 710 |
| Ohio | 14 | 670 |
| Michigan | 7 | 656 |
| Virginia | 6 | 602 |
| Iowa | 5 | 586 |
| Kentucky | 15 | 584 |
| New Jersey | 19 | 573 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 544 |
| Oregon | 3 | 428 |
| Georgia | 2 | 413 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 373 |
| Nevada | 1 | 327 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 286 |
| Louisiana | 5 | 259 |
| Arizona | 4 | 223 |
| Delaware | 1 | 215 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 200 |
| Maine | 13 | 150 |
| Alaska | 1 | 149 |
| Alabama | 2 | 143 |
| Washington | 2 | 127 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 120 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 100 |
| Nebraska | 8 | 98 |
| Idaho | 2 | 87 |
| Utah | 1 | 69 |
| Kansas | 3 | 46 |
| Vermont | 1 | 30 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 9 |
| Missouri | 1 | 8 |
California led the nation with 4,937 workers affected across 74 notices , followed by Illinois (1,668 workers) and New York (1,601 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 68 | 4,907 |
| Retail | 104 | 3,350 |
| Transportation | 25 | 3,344 |
| Accommodation & Food | 21 | 2,009 |
| Information & Technology | 20 | 1,734 |
| Healthcare | 25 | 1,636 |
| Education | 4 | 928 |
| Finance & Insurance | 12 | 669 |
| Professional Services | 4 | 548 |
| Government | 3 | 518 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 4,907 workers across 68 notices. Notably, Retail reported 3,350 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 119 | 8,679 |
| Layoff | 63 | 4,580 |
Closures accounted for 41% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Wake Forest University Health Sciences | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | 755 | Layoff |
| First Transit | Oceanside, California | 538 | Closure |
| Amgen | Thousand Oaks, California | 494 | Layoff |
| VF Outdoor | Appleton, Wisconsin | 380 | |
| First Transit | Pomona, California | 372 | Closure |
| UNR Med Integrated Clinical Services | Las Vegas, Nevada | 327 | Closure |
| Compass Group USA | Whitewater, Wisconsin | 302 | |
| Veracity Hospitality | Gurnee, Illinois | 296 | Closure |
| First Student Management | Belleville, Illinois | 293 | Closure |
| Exel | Social Cirlce, Georgia | 280 |
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 Manufacturing 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, 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.