US Layoffs — October 2021
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 151 WARN Act notices in October 2021, impacting roughly 14,889 workers — representing a notable rise over September and down 80% versus October 2020. Filings came from 32 states and territories, with an average of 99 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 60 | 4,508 |
| Hawaii | 5 | 1,425 |
| Florida | 7 | 1,256 |
| Iowa | 5 | 1,106 |
| New York | 7 | 924 |
| Illinois | 6 | 730 |
| Missouri | 3 | 585 |
| Ohio | 5 | 534 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 483 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 457 |
| Virginia | 4 | 363 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 269 |
| Indiana | 2 | 268 |
| Michigan | 3 | 223 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 179 |
| Texas | 2 | 175 |
| Oregon | 1 | 171 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 164 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 151 |
| Georgia | 3 | 148 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 139 |
| Washington | 1 | 115 |
| Minnesota | 4 | 102 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 93 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | 66 |
| New Mexico | 2 | 62 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 61 |
| Kansas | 2 | 44 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 34 |
| Maryland | 1 | 30 |
| Colorado | 2 | 16 |
| Maine | 1 | 8 |
California led the nation with 4,508 workers affected across 60 notices , followed by Hawaii (1,425 workers) and Florida (1,256 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 33 | 4,810 |
| Accommodation & Food | 16 | 2,303 |
| Healthcare | 27 | 2,229 |
| Transportation | 15 | 1,252 |
| Wholesale Trade | 6 | 937 |
| Construction | 2 | 533 |
| Other | 4 | 414 |
| Information & Technology | 7 | 401 |
| Retail | 3 | 339 |
| Professional Services | 5 | 241 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 4,810 workers across 33 notices. In a parallel development, Accommodation & Food reported 2,303 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 43 | 4,247 |
| Layoff | 45 | 3,622 |
| Temporary Layoff | 3 | 738 |
Closures accounted for 29% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| TPI Composites | Newton, Iowa | 710 | Closure |
| West Mau Resorts Partners | Honolulu, Hawaii | 646 | |
| Health System Solutions | Miami, Florida | 616 | |
| Kirkhill | Brea, California | 527 | Temporary Layoff |
| Kirkhill | Brea, California | 527 | Layoff |
| Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE) | Lee's Summit, Missouri | 521 | Layoff |
| Flying Food Group, LLC (JFK International Airport) | Jamaica, New York | 434 | |
| Fujifilm | Greenwood, South Carolina | 420 | |
| Royal Lahaina Resort | Lahaina, Hawaii | 420 | Closure |
| Pittsburgh Glass | Evansville, Illinois | 348 |
The single largest action involved TPI Composites in Newton, Iowa, reporting 710 affected workers. West Mau Resorts Partners followed with 646 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in October 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.