New York Layoffs — August 2017
Employers in New York reported 21 WARN Act notices in August 2017, displacing an estimated 1,246 workers — signaling an acceleration from July and down 12% versus August 2016. The average filing covered 59 workers, with 13 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 309 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 184 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 38 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 33 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 4 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 309 workers across 3 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 184 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Oswego | 4 | 351 |
| New York | 4 | 221 |
| Queens | 2 | 219 |
| Kings | 1 | 150 |
| Westchester | 1 | 80 |
Oswego felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 28% of all affected workers with 351 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Oswego | 4 | 351 |
| New York | 4 | 221 |
| Brooklyn | 1 | 150 |
| Maspeth | 1 | 148 |
| Mount Kisco | 1 | 80 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 13 | 847 |
| Layoff | 8 | 399 |
The high proportion of closures (68% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in New York's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
The most significant filing came from B&H Foto and Electronics Corp. (Navy Yard Facility) at its Brooklyn facility, reporting 150 affected workers. Cascades Containerboard Packaging - New York City, a division of Cascades Holding US followed with 148 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for New York's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by New York. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all New York WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.