The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 442 WARN Act notices in May 2017, involving roughly 42,200 workers — climbing above April and down 10% versus May 2016. Filings came from 34 states and territories, with an average of 95 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 98 | 8,955 |
| Indiana | 16 | 5,596 |
| Washington | 10 | 3,146 |
| Texas | 39 | 2,280 |
| New York | 30 | 1,965 |
| Virginia | 30 | 1,797 |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | 1,634 |
| Tennessee | 12 | 1,560 |
| North Carolina | 11 | 1,549 |
| Ohio | 16 | 1,546 |
| Florida | 16 | 1,329 |
| Michigan | 14 | 1,212 |
| Oregon | 6 | 922 |
| Georgia | 19 | 787 |
| Louisiana | 5 | 768 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 759 |
| Missouri | 6 | 750 |
| Maryland | 6 | 740 |
| Connecticut | 8 | 732 |
| Wisconsin | 8 | 642 |
| Colorado | 6 | 636 |
| Utah | 2 | 494 |
| Kansas | 7 | 432 |
| Arizona | 3 | 393 |
| New Jersey | 10 | 373 |
| Nevada | 4 | 324 |
| Iowa | 6 | 324 |
| Alaska | 2 | 294 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 97 |
| Maine | 8 | 80 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 43 |
| Vermont | 1 | 37 |
| Nebraska | 6 | 4 |
| Illinois | 12 | 0 |
California led the nation with 8,955 workers affected across 98 notices , followed by Indiana (5,596 workers) and Washington (3,146 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 16 | 4,007 |
| Retail | 32 | 3,532 |
| Transportation | 23 | 2,390 |
| Healthcare | 27 | 1,680 |
| Information & Technology | 22 | 1,368 |
| Manufacturing | 23 | 1,187 |
| Agriculture | 7 | 768 |
| Education | 13 | 610 |
| Finance & Insurance | 12 | 576 |
| Accommodation & Food | 7 | 439 |
The Other sector dominated layoff filings with 4,007 workers across 16 notices. Meanwhile, Retail reported 3,532 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 129 | 14,931 |
| Layoff | 92 | 7,925 |
| Temporary Layoff | 2 | 728 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 155 |
Closures accounted for 36% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marsh Supermarket | Statewide, Indiana | 1,535 | Closure |
| Marsh Supermarket | Statewide, Indiana | 1,535 | |
| Menzies Aviation | SeaTac, Washington | 949 | |
| USS-POSCO Industries | Pittsburg, California | 635 | Temporary Layoff |
| USS-POSCO Industries | Pittsburg, California | 635 | Layoff |
| Carrier | Indianapolis, Indiana | 632 | Layoff |
| Carrier | Indianapolis, Indiana | 632 | |
| Boeing | Puget Sound Area, Washington | 580 | Layoff |
| Boeing | Puget Sound Area, Washington | 580 | |
| Wexford Health Sources, Inc | Statewide, Florida | 540 |
The biggest impact was at Marsh Supermarket in Statewide, Indiana, reporting 1,535 affected workers. Marsh Supermarket followed with 1,535 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Other sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in May 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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