The US labor market showed continued flux as employers reported 1,159 WARN Act notices in October 2020, displacing an estimated 161,504 workers — signaling a deceleration from September and up 204% versus October 2019. Filings came from 43 states and territories, with an average of 139 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 137 | 51,835 |
| New Jersey | 43 | 17,978 |
| California | 336 | 17,517 |
| Florida | 88 | 15,480 |
| New York | 109 | 8,135 |
| Washington DC | 12 | 5,246 |
| Hawaii | 54 | 5,220 |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | 4,573 |
| Indiana | 16 | 3,858 |
| Washington | 30 | 3,542 |
| Texas | 34 | 3,217 |
| Tennessee | 20 | 3,212 |
| Georgia | 31 | 2,897 |
| Colorado | 13 | 2,030 |
| Virginia | 13 | 1,929 |
| Nevada | 20 | 1,512 |
| Ohio | 18 | 1,476 |
| Connecticut | 21 | 1,275 |
| Wisconsin | 22 | 1,190 |
| Massachusetts | 12 | 1,070 |
| Arizona | 6 | 1,050 |
| Maryland | 20 | 936 |
| Minnesota | 9 | 874 |
| Missouri | 5 | 763 |
| Oklahoma | 6 | 568 |
| Michigan | 8 | 446 |
| Louisiana | 6 | 404 |
| Alabama | 4 | 396 |
| Maine | 7 | 380 |
| Utah | 3 | 372 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 303 |
| Kansas | 4 | 297 |
| Nebraska | 5 | 272 |
| Vermont | 4 | 220 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 212 |
| Iowa | 4 | 212 |
| PR | 1 | 171 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 122 |
| Oregon | 2 | 118 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 102 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 86 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 5 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 3 |
Illinois led the nation with 51,835 workers affected across 137 notices , followed by New Jersey (17,978 workers) and California (17,517 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 28 | 21,738 |
| Accommodation & Food | 174 | 19,450 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 30 | 14,911 |
| Healthcare | 49 | 4,988 |
| Manufacturing | 36 | 4,491 |
| Finance & Insurance | 45 | 4,448 |
| Other | 27 | 3,595 |
| Utilities | 5 | 2,085 |
| Information & Technology | 19 | 1,480 |
| Retail | 14 | 932 |
The Transportation sector topped the list of affected industries with 21,738 workers across 28 notices. Notably, Accommodation & Food reported 19,450 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 344 | 37,745 |
| Closure | 95 | 8,476 |
| Temporary Layoff | 12 | 3,962 |
| Temporary Closure | 3 | 303 |
Closures accounted for 5% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| united airlines | Chicago, New Jersey | 16,000 | |
| Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. Walt Disney World | Lake Buena Vista, Florida | 10,903 | |
| Ace Hotel Chicago, LLC | 311 N. Morgan St, Illinois | 2,020 | |
| Bon Appetit Management Company | 111 S Michigan Ave, Illinois | 2,020 | |
| Encompass Group, LLC | 900 Busch Parkway, Illinois | 2,020 | |
| Fooda Inc | 225 W Randolph, Suite 1700 including multiple Cook County locations, Illinois | 2,020 | |
| Hornblower Cruises & Events, LLC | 600 E. Grand Avenue, Illinois | 2,020 | |
| Le Tote, Inc | 1455 Lake Cook Road, Illinois | 2,020 | |
| MV Transportation, Inc | Olympia Avenue, Illinois | 2,020 | |
| Sby Rg2 -1101 LLC | 1101 S. Wabash, Illinois | 2,020 |
The most significant filing came from united airlines in Chicago, New Jersey, reporting 16,000 affected workers. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. Walt Disney World followed with 10,903 workers.
The numbers illustrate 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 October 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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