The US labor market showed continued flux as employers reported 490 WARN Act notices in August 2019, displacing an estimated 32,662 workers — signaling a deceleration from July and up 6% versus August 2018. Filings came from 37 states and territories, with an average of 67 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 87 | 3,851 |
| Ohio | 18 | 2,711 |
| Texas | 40 | 2,120 |
| Washington | 14 | 2,116 |
| Minnesota | 23 | 2,093 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 2,040 |
| New Jersey | 15 | 1,958 |
| Indiana | 19 | 1,735 |
| Oregon | 12 | 1,394 |
| New York | 43 | 1,382 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 1,076 |
| Georgia | 10 | 1,064 |
| Louisiana | 10 | 974 |
| Arizona | 8 | 901 |
| Wisconsin | 11 | 822 |
| West Virginia | 4 | 791 |
| North Carolina | 10 | 733 |
| Florida | 18 | 692 |
| Colorado | 9 | 534 |
| Kansas | 11 | 458 |
| Michigan | 13 | 398 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 394 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 371 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 363 |
| New Mexico | 3 | 345 |
| Nebraska | 36 | 285 |
| Idaho | 3 | 186 |
| Iowa | 12 | 174 |
| Utah | 3 | 156 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 144 |
| Alabama | 2 | 144 |
| Delaware | 2 | 85 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 72 |
| Virginia | 2 | 61 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 25 |
| Maine | 3 | 14 |
| Illinois | 19 | 0 |
California led the nation with 3,851 workers affected across 87 notices , followed by Ohio (2,711 workers) and Texas (2,120 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 39 | 3,603 |
| Healthcare | 25 | 2,177 |
| Other | 21 | 2,114 |
| Retail | 14 | 1,306 |
| Transportation | 11 | 1,067 |
| Information & Technology | 15 | 814 |
| Finance & Insurance | 7 | 665 |
| Utilities | 9 | 516 |
| Construction | 2 | 410 |
| Professional Services | 7 | 396 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 3,603 workers across 39 notices. Notably, Healthcare reported 2,177 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 90 | 9,321 |
| Layoff | 60 | 4,189 |
Closures accounted for 29% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Valley Medical Center | Wheeling, West Virginia | 736 | Closure |
| Briggs & Stratton Corporation | Kentucky | 628 | Closure |
| Briggs & Stratton Corporation | Kentucky | 628 | Closure |
| Briggs & Stratton Corporation | Calloway, Kentucky | 628 | |
| Nix Home Care Facility | San Antonio, Texas | 585 | |
| NORPAC FOODS INC - Stayton Plant | Stayton, Oregon | 485 | Closure |
| NORPAC FOODS INC - Stayton Plant | Stayton, Oregon | 485 | |
| Wells Fargo - Shoreview 2019 | Shoreview, Minnesota | 405 | |
| Cisco Systems, Inc | San Jose, California | 397 | Layoff |
| La-Z-Boy | Redlands, California | 351 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, West Virginia, reporting 736 affected workers. Briggs & Stratton Corporation followed with 628 workers.
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
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 2019. 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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