US Layoffs — May 2020

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers logged 1,071 WARN Act notices in May 2020, involving roughly 160,702 workers — falling below April and up 479% versus May 2019. Filings came from 47 states and territories, with an average of 150 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 35,671 workers affected across 342 notices , followed by Nevada (18,223 workers) and Florida (12,706 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Accommodation & Food sector dominated layoff filings with 57,568 workers across 283 notices. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 28,333 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 8% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The biggest impact was at Universal City Development Partners in Orlando, Florida, reporting 5,389 affected workers. United States Steel followed with 3,765 workers.

Trend & Outlook

This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.

This data points to a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Accommodation & Food sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in May 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, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.