US Layoffs — January 2021

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers logged 266 WARN Act notices in January 2021, involving roughly 27,577 workers — falling below December and down 34% versus January 2020. Filings came from 38 states and territories, with an average of 104 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 7,767 workers affected across 86 notices , followed by New Jersey (4,080 workers) and Illinois (2,647 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Transportation sector dominated layoff filings with 6,052 workers across 28 notices. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 5,176 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 31% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The biggest impact was at United Airlines in Newark, New Jersey, reporting 3,899 affected workers. YMCA of San Diego followed with 2,047 workers.

Trend & Outlook

This data points to a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Transportation sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in January 2021. 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.