Employers in New York reported 65 WARN Act notices in February 2020, displacing an estimated 3,550 workers — signaling a deceleration from January and up 77% versus February 2019. The average filing covered 55 workers, with 42 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 32 | 1,728 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 375 |
| Transportation | 2 | 339 |
| Other | 12 | 296 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3 | 260 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 113 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 106 |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 103 |
The Retail sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,728 workers across 32 notices. Notably, Professional Services reported 375 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 24 | 1,525 |
| Queens | 6 | 488 |
| Erie | 1 | 375 |
| Westchester | 5 | 334 |
| Suffolk | 5 | 151 |
New York saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 43% of all affected workers with 1,525 workers across 24 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 23 | 1,450 |
| Buffalo | 1 | 375 |
| Ridgewood | 1 | 221 |
| Brooklyn | 4 | 132 |
| Flushing | 1 | 119 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 42 | 2,607 |
| Layoff | 23 | 943 |
The high proportion of closures (73% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in New York's labor market.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panasonic Solar North America ("PSNA") | Buffalo | 375 | Closure | 2020-02-26 |
| CareRide Paratransit, LLC | Ridgewood | 221 | Closure | 2020-02-28 |
| Macy's Inc. (NYC Corporate Office) Penn Plaza | New York | 206 | Layoff | 2020-02-04 |
| Jet Black (Walmart) | New York | 165 | Closure | 2020-02-13 |
| Transform KM LLC (Kmart Retail Store) | New York | 160 | Closure | 2020-02-04 |
| Macy's Inc. (NYC Corporate Office) 34th Street | New York | 154 | Layoff | 2020-02-04 |
| Swissport SA, LLC (LGA airport) | Flushing | 119 | Layoff | 2020-02-28 |
| Columbus Transit, LLC | Mount Vernon | 118 | Closure | 2020-02-19 |
| Morimoto NY Venture, L.P | New York | 113 | Closure | 2020-02-07 |
| Nestle Waters North America | Elmsford | 105 | Closure | 2020-02-28 |
| Rochester Drug Co-Operative, Inc | Rochester | 98 | Closure | 2020-02-13 |
| Local Media Group, Inc. dba Times Herald-Record | Middletown | 94 | Closure | 2020-02-06 |
| Macy's Inc. (NYC Corporate Office) 1440 Broadway | New York | 92 | Layoff | 2020-02-04 |
| Transform SR LLC (Sears Unit 01364 Retail Store and Unit 06444 Auto Center) | Lake Grove | 77 | Closure | 2020-02-06 |
| Maplebear Inc.dba Instacart (in-store operations across Fairway Market stores) - 2328 12th Ave | New York | 72 | Closure | 2020-02-27 |
The most significant filing came from Panasonic Solar North America ("PSNA") at its Buffalo facility, reporting 375 affected workers. CareRide Paratransit, LLC followed with 221 workers.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for New York's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Retail 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.
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