The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 335 WARN Act notices in November 2021, putting at risk an estimated 34,236 workers — up substantially from October and down 68% versus November 2020. Filings came from 29 states and territories, with an average of 102 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 23 | 13,892 |
| California | 91 | 7,318 |
| Florida | 49 | 2,730 |
| Texas | 17 | 1,132 |
| Arizona | 9 | 1,093 |
| Georgia | 11 | 1,074 |
| New York | 29 | 984 |
| Louisiana | 6 | 942 |
| Pennsylvania | 6 | 743 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 582 |
| Massachusetts | 7 | 428 |
| Colorado | 16 | 396 |
| Ohio | 7 | 382 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 377 |
| Wisconsin | 8 | 369 |
| Minnesota | 4 | 339 |
| Maryland | 11 | 314 |
| Washington | 9 | 285 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 240 |
| Nevada | 2 | 176 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 130 |
| Indiana | 3 | 126 |
| Oregon | 1 | 95 |
| Michigan | 1 | 35 |
| Missouri | 1 | 25 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 16 |
| Maine | 2 | 8 |
| Kansas | 1 | 4 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 1 |
Illinois led the nation with 13,892 workers affected across 23 notices , followed by California (7,318 workers) and Florida (2,730 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 18 | 5,622 |
| Healthcare | 41 | 4,741 |
| Finance & Insurance | 12 | 3,774 |
| Education | 8 | 1,139 |
| Transportation | 11 | 939 |
| Other | 7 | 437 |
| Information & Technology | 8 | 352 |
| Accommodation & Food | 5 | 263 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2 | 244 |
| Mining & Energy | 2 | 220 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 5,622 workers across 18 notices. Separately, Healthcare reported 4,741 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 55 | 6,166 |
| Layoff | 42 | 3,318 |
| Temporary Layoff | 3 | 515 |
Closures accounted for 18% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equistar Chemicals, LP | 625 US Hwy 36, Illinois | 2,022 | |
| Interfirst Mortgage Company | 9525 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 400, Illinois | 2,022 | |
| W Diamond Group Corp | 901 W. Oakton, Illinois | 2,021 | |
| Android Belvidere, LLC | 1222 Crosslink Pkwy, Illinois | 2,021 | |
| Energizer | 200 Corporate Drive, Illinois | 2,021 | |
| FCA US LLC (Belvidere Assembly Plant) | 3000 W. Chrysler Dr, Illinois | 2,021 | |
| Watsonville Community Hospital | California | 677 | Closure |
| Watsonville Community Hospital | Watsonville, California | 677 | Closure |
| Watsonville Community Hospital | California | 658 | Closure |
| Watsonville Community Hospital | Watsonville, California | 658 | Closure |
Topping the list was Equistar Chemicals, LP in 625 US Hwy 36, Illinois, reporting 2,022 affected workers. Interfirst Mortgage Company followed with 2,022 workers.
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
These figures highlight 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 November 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.
Get weekly layoff reports in your inbox
Free weekly digest of WARN Act filings and analysis.
