The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 567 WARN Act notices in March 2023, putting at risk an estimated 63,110 workers — up substantially from February and up 64% versus March 2022. Filings came from 40 states and territories, with an average of 111 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 22 | 20,512 |
| California | 180 | 12,590 |
| Texas | 16 | 2,559 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 2,303 |
| Washington | 20 | 1,967 |
| North Carolina | 11 | 1,958 |
| Virginia | 13 | 1,555 |
| Minnesota | 12 | 1,537 |
| Arizona | 18 | 1,470 |
| Ohio | 14 | 1,421 |
| Nevada | 6 | 1,416 |
| Indiana | 8 | 1,398 |
| South Carolina | 15 | 1,026 |
| Florida | 18 | 1,001 |
| Wisconsin | 29 | 972 |
| Michigan | 22 | 867 |
| Missouri | 6 | 774 |
| Oregon | 6 | 720 |
| Iowa | 9 | 688 |
| Nebraska | 5 | 679 |
| Maryland | 14 | 668 |
| Georgia | 9 | 569 |
| Washington DC | 2 | 534 |
| Alabama | 6 | 488 |
| Mississippi | 10 | 445 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 390 |
| Colorado | 29 | 369 |
| New Jersey | 8 | 352 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 328 |
| Kansas | 10 | 301 |
| Utah | 2 | 288 |
| Maine | 4 | 219 |
| Hawaii | 9 | 216 |
| Massachusetts | 7 | 177 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 114 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 108 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 90 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 38 |
| New Mexico | 3 | 3 |
| Vermont | 2 | 0 |
Illinois led the nation with 20,512 workers affected across 22 notices , followed by California (12,590 workers) and Texas (2,559 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 28 | 6,678 |
| Healthcare | 58 | 5,790 |
| Transportation | 21 | 3,311 |
| Finance & Insurance | 12 | 3,071 |
| Admin & Support Services | 7 | 2,918 |
| Manufacturing | 37 | 2,897 |
| Other | 17 | 1,728 |
| Information & Technology | 32 | 984 |
| Professional Services | 9 | 769 |
| Accommodation & Food | 5 | 731 |
The Retail sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 6,678 workers across 28 notices. Separately, Healthcare reported 5,790 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 201 | 16,733 |
| Closure | 98 | 12,780 |
Closures accounted for 20% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Water Resources, LLC | 4th St, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Glassdoor, Inc | 1375 W. Fulton Market, 10th Floor, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Impact Fulfillment Services | Drive, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Inland Bank & Trust | 2805 Butterfield Rd, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Walmart | 1511 Camp Jackson Rd, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Elite Staffing, Inc. at McKesson Corp | 1125 Sycamore Street, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Evolent Health | 300 S. Riverside Plaza Suite 400, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Stellantis | 3000 W. Chrysler Dr, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Wells Fargo | 4800 Wabash Ave, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Friendship Senior Options | 0N801 Friendship Way, Illinois | 2,022 |
Topping the list was American Water Resources, LLC in 4th St, Illinois, reporting 2,023 affected workers. Glassdoor, Inc followed with 2,023 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in March 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.
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