The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 623 WARN Act notices in February 2023, impacting roughly 54,032 workers — representing a pullback from January and up 283% versus February 2022. Filings came from 39 states and territories, with an average of 87 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 245 | 20,868 |
| Illinois | 21 | 13,592 |
| New Jersey | 30 | 1,875 |
| Texas | 38 | 1,823 |
| Georgia | 16 | 1,603 |
| Alabama | 8 | 1,232 |
| South Carolina | 11 | 1,178 |
| Idaho | 6 | 1,038 |
| New Mexico | 6 | 924 |
| Washington | 17 | 891 |
| Tennessee | 12 | 835 |
| Iowa | 28 | 800 |
| Oregon | 4 | 781 |
| Massachusetts | 13 | 721 |
| Florida | 9 | 637 |
| Maryland | 13 | 593 |
| Louisiana | 6 | 542 |
| Arizona | 19 | 530 |
| North Carolina | 7 | 387 |
| Utah | 7 | 372 |
| Minnesota | 11 | 328 |
| Montana | 2 | 301 |
| Wisconsin | 9 | 284 |
| Colorado | 40 | 267 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 264 |
| Maine | 8 | 234 |
| New Hampshire | 3 | 209 |
| Ohio | 5 | 197 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 152 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 150 |
| Indiana | 2 | 120 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 75 |
| Hawaii | 3 | 69 |
| Missouri | 1 | 63 |
| North Dakota | 1 | 53 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 38 |
| Nevada | 4 | 6 |
| Michigan | 1 | 0 |
| Kansas | 3 | 0 |
California led the nation with 20,868 workers affected across 245 notices , followed by Illinois (13,592 workers) and New Jersey (1,875 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 21 | 3,821 |
| Manufacturing | 30 | 3,249 |
| Healthcare | 67 | 3,147 |
| Retail | 27 | 2,607 |
| Other | 13 | 1,799 |
| Admin & Support Services | 6 | 883 |
| Finance & Insurance | 10 | 767 |
| Utilities | 4 | 615 |
| Information & Technology | 17 | 548 |
| Professional Services | 5 | 495 |
The Transportation sector led the way in workforce reductions with 3,821 workers across 21 notices. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 3,249 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 232 | 17,179 |
| Closure | 101 | 11,859 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 85 |
| Temporary Layoff | 1 | 51 |
Closures accounted for 22% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerotek (at Abbott Laboratories) | 605 Tri-State Parkway, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Akorn Operating Company LLC | Suite B, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Cascades Specialty Products Group | 2300 Raddant Rd, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Customized Distribution Services, Inc | Commerce Center Drive West, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Heritage Operations Group, LLC | 115 W. Jefferson St. Suite 401, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Hgs USA, LLC | Ave, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Aerotek (at Abbott Laboratories) | Gurnee, Illinois | 623 | Closure |
| Microsoft | Redmond, Bellevue, Issaquah, Washington | 617 | Layoff |
| Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc | California | 538 | Closure |
| Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc | San Diego, California | 538 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Aerotek (at Abbott Laboratories) in 605 Tri-State Parkway, Illinois, reporting 2,023 affected workers. Akorn Operating Company LLC followed with 2,023 workers.
The data underscores a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Transportation sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in February 2023. 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.
