The US labor market showed continued flux as employers logged 694 WARN Act notices in May 2023, involving roughly 67,923 workers — falling below April and up 80% versus May 2022. Filings came from 43 states and territories, with an average of 98 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 34 | 21,928 |
| California | 272 | 19,223 |
| South Carolina | 12 | 3,998 |
| Texas | 34 | 1,981 |
| Iowa | 46 | 1,741 |
| Tennessee | 19 | 1,656 |
| Minnesota | 27 | 1,539 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 1,488 |
| Missouri | 5 | 1,168 |
| Alabama | 12 | 1,036 |
| Michigan | 17 | 892 |
| Utah | 13 | 673 |
| Florida | 6 | 643 |
| Washington DC | 7 | 633 |
| West Virginia | 3 | 575 |
| Hawaii | 12 | 574 |
| Delaware | 2 | 572 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 524 |
| Connecticut | 6 | 520 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 492 |
| New Jersey | 13 | 483 |
| Ohio | 5 | 478 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 472 |
| Nevada | 10 | 460 |
| Georgia | 11 | 456 |
| Maryland | 17 | 445 |
| Massachusetts | 8 | 430 |
| Kansas | 11 | 400 |
| Indiana | 4 | 350 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | 331 |
| Colorado | 11 | 331 |
| Idaho | 4 | 328 |
| Wisconsin | 8 | 225 |
| Maine | 14 | 190 |
| Washington | 4 | 164 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 149 |
| Arizona | 9 | 147 |
| Oregon | 4 | 96 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 79 |
| Nebraska | 4 | 51 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 2 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 0 |
| Vermont | 1 | 0 |
Illinois led the nation with 21,928 workers affected across 34 notices , followed by California (19,223 workers) and South Carolina (3,998 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 52 | 4,637 |
| Manufacturing | 38 | 3,485 |
| Education | 22 | 3,174 |
| Admin & Support Services | 4 | 2,173 |
| Accommodation & Food | 20 | 1,924 |
| Information & Technology | 26 | 1,462 |
| Other | 12 | 1,356 |
| Transportation | 16 | 1,094 |
| Retail | 14 | 937 |
| Professional Services | 7 | 558 |
The Healthcare sector dominated layoff filings with 4,637 workers across 52 notices. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 3,485 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 270 | 18,161 |
| Closure | 130 | 12,004 |
| Temporary Layoff | 2 | 1,321 |
Closures accounted for 18% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| BD (C.R. Bard Inc.) | South Carolina | 2,025 | |
| Enlivant ES, LLC | 330 N. Wabash, Suite 3700, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Parsec, Inc | 27236 International Port Rd, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Pitney Bowes, Inc | Suite B, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| ProMedica Health System | 715 W. Central Rd, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| The Hope Learning Academy Chicago | 1628 W. Washington Blvd, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Tyson Foods | 400 S. Jefferson Street, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Walgreens | 108 Wilmot Road, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| WestRock Company | 4221 N. Normandy Ave, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Elite Staffing, Inc. at McKesson Corp | 1125 Sycamore Street, Illinois | 2,023 |
The biggest impact was at BD (C.R. Bard Inc.) in South Carolina, reporting 2,025 affected workers. Enlivant ES, LLC followed with 2,023 workers.
This data points to a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Healthcare sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in May 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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