US Layoffs — March 2022

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 176 WARN Act notices in March 2022, involving roughly 16,076 workers — climbing above February and down 15% versus March 2021. Filings came from 32 states and territories, with an average of 91 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 4,839 workers affected across 69 notices , followed by Ohio (1,425 workers) and New Jersey (965 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 4,610 workers across 53 notices. Meanwhile, Healthcare reported 2,494 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 42% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.

Largest Layoffs

The biggest impact was at Watsonville Community Hospital in Watsonville, California, reporting 658 affected workers. Mammoth Tech followed with 521 workers.

Trend & Outlook

After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.

This data points to 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 March 2022. 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.