The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 479 WARN Act notices in February 2020, impacting roughly 39,433 workers — representing a pullback from January and up 7% versus February 2019. Filings came from 43 states and territories, with an average of 82 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 103 | 6,016 |
| New York | 65 | 3,550 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 2,300 |
| Texas | 15 | 2,025 |
| Utah | 12 | 1,827 |
| Florida | 29 | 1,818 |
| Tennessee | 10 | 1,591 |
| Illinois | 14 | 1,559 |
| Alabama | 8 | 1,360 |
| Washington | 7 | 1,321 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 1,227 |
| Oregon | 10 | 1,226 |
| New Jersey | 11 | 1,201 |
| Minnesota | 25 | 1,113 |
| Indiana | 6 | 1,046 |
| North Carolina | 13 | 931 |
| Hawaii | 6 | 836 |
| Ohio | 8 | 833 |
| Michigan | 6 | 784 |
| Kentucky | 12 | 642 |
| Mississippi | 8 | 594 |
| South Carolina | 5 | 561 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 531 |
| Wisconsin | 9 | 524 |
| Iowa | 12 | 480 |
| Kansas | 8 | 453 |
| Virginia | 3 | 335 |
| Arizona | 4 | 310 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 294 |
| Idaho | 3 | 279 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 262 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 250 |
| Colorado | 6 | 246 |
| Vermont | 4 | 210 |
| Maryland | 3 | 198 |
| Connecticut | 6 | 174 |
| Montana | 2 | 134 |
| Missouri | 1 | 125 |
| Nevada | 1 | 96 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | 95 |
| Georgia | 7 | 46 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 30 |
| Maine | 12 | 0 |
California led the nation with 6,016 workers affected across 103 notices , followed by New York (3,550 workers) and Louisiana (2,300 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 43 | 4,105 |
| Accommodation & Food | 13 | 3,692 |
| Retail | 62 | 3,632 |
| Healthcare | 24 | 2,791 |
| Other | 25 | 1,966 |
| Manufacturing | 28 | 1,569 |
| Education | 7 | 1,330 |
| Finance & Insurance | 15 | 996 |
| Professional Services | 6 | 824 |
| Utilities | 10 | 647 |
The Transportation sector led the way in workforce reductions with 4,105 workers across 43 notices. In a parallel development, Accommodation & Food reported 3,692 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 139 | 14,626 |
| Layoff | 89 | 8,659 |
Closures accounted for 37% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waitr | Statewide, Louisiana | 2,300 | |
| Concordia University | Portland, Oregon | 1,012 | Closure |
| Macy's | San Francisco, California | 831 | Closure |
| Brock Services LLC | Tennessee | 824 | |
| Fairmont Regional Medical Center | Fairmont, West Virginia | 528 | Closure |
| Durham School Services | Indianapolis, Indiana | 514 | Closure |
| Metis TPS, LLC | Hawaiian Gardens, California | 500 | Layoff |
| Waitr And Bite Squad | State-Wide, Alabama | 491 | Layoff |
| ASAP Inc fka Waitr Holdings Inc | State-Wide, Alabama | 491 | |
| Montage Hotels and Resorts, LLC dba Montage International | Beverly Hills, California | 489 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Waitr in Statewide, Louisiana, reporting 2,300 affected workers. Concordia University followed with 1,012 workers.
The data underscores a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Transportation sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in February 2020. 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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