The US labor market showed continued flux as employers posted 286 WARN Act notices in September 2021, affecting an estimated 20,528 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to August and down 90% versus September 2020. Filings came from 31 states and territories, with an average of 72 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 85 | 6,566 |
| Louisiana | 16 | 2,016 |
| Utah | 6 | 1,563 |
| Texas | 20 | 1,435 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 905 |
| Florida | 12 | 844 |
| New York | 22 | 839 |
| New Jersey | 9 | 712 |
| Illinois | 8 | 668 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 405 |
| Wisconsin | 6 | 378 |
| New Mexico | 3 | 369 |
| Colorado | 12 | 353 |
| Massachusetts | 5 | 340 |
| Indiana | 2 | 292 |
| Arizona | 4 | 290 |
| Maryland | 6 | 268 |
| Hawaii | 8 | 255 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 242 |
| Missouri | 2 | 231 |
| Iowa | 8 | 227 |
| Oregon | 9 | 213 |
| Kansas | 7 | 191 |
| Nevada | 1 | 176 |
| Georgia | 6 | 172 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 166 |
| Maine | 6 | 133 |
| Alaska | 3 | 120 |
| Minnesota | 1 | 100 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 55 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 4 |
California led the nation with 6,566 workers affected across 85 notices , followed by Louisiana (2,016 workers) and Utah (1,563 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 25 | 2,127 |
| Manufacturing | 12 | 1,189 |
| Transportation | 15 | 1,080 |
| Education | 3 | 1,057 |
| Other | 10 | 757 |
| Information & Technology | 6 | 310 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 238 |
| Accommodation & Food | 4 | 155 |
| Agriculture | 2 | 137 |
| Retail | 4 | 126 |
The Healthcare sector saw the heaviest impact with 2,127 workers across 25 notices. On a related front, Manufacturing reported 1,189 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 63 | 4,859 |
| Layoff | 58 | 4,513 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 137 |
Closures accounted for 24% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| *UPDATE* Aramark at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center | Harrisburg, Carlisle, Lititz, Pennsylvania | 435 | Layoff |
| Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corporation | Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania | 388 | Closure |
| Michael Page International Inc | New York, New York | 331 | |
| Center for Excellence in Higher Education | Slc, Utah | 311 | |
| Center for Excellence CEHE | Slc, Utah | 311 | |
| Center for Excellence in Higher Education | Slc, Utah | 311 | |
| GEOSecureServicesLLCWesternRegionDetentionFacility | California | 298 | Closure |
| GEO Secure Services LLC Western Region Detention Facility | San Diego, California | 298 | Closure |
| Gate Gourmet | California | 289 | Layoff |
| Gate Gourmet | San Francisco, California | 289 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by *UPDATE* Aramark at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Harrisburg, Carlisle, Lititz, Pennsylvania, reporting 435 affected workers. Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corporation followed with 388 workers.
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The trends suggest a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Healthcare sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in September 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. Download the full dataset or explore state-by-state data.
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