The US labor market showed continued flux as employers submitted 620 WARN Act notices in September 2023, putting at risk an estimated 60,808 workers — down from August and up 13% versus September 2022. Filings came from 43 states and territories, with an average of 98 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 27 | 22,274 |
| California | 181 | 12,137 |
| Georgia | 53 | 4,859 |
| Alabama | 4 | 2,488 |
| Iowa | 19 | 1,668 |
| Washington | 14 | 1,446 |
| Texas | 20 | 1,424 |
| Florida | 16 | 1,381 |
| South Carolina | 5 | 1,127 |
| New Jersey | 16 | 1,111 |
| Maryland | 14 | 1,111 |
| Wisconsin | 15 | 905 |
| Massachusetts | 12 | 814 |
| Connecticut | 6 | 762 |
| Ohio | 10 | 742 |
| Michigan | 21 | 619 |
| Louisiana | 13 | 610 |
| Oregon | 10 | 554 |
| Arizona | 14 | 521 |
| Virginia | 7 | 481 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 463 |
| Utah | 2 | 452 |
| Rhode Island | 4 | 376 |
| Nebraska | 8 | 331 |
| Minnesota | 16 | 328 |
| Nevada | 6 | 298 |
| Missouri | 2 | 182 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 170 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 149 |
| Indiana | 2 | 140 |
| Idaho | 6 | 136 |
| Colorado | 13 | 133 |
| Hawaii | 9 | 132 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 128 |
| Maine | 15 | 123 |
| Montana | 2 | 100 |
| Washington DC | 2 | 100 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 30 |
| New Mexico | 3 | 3 |
| Alaska | 2 | 0 |
| New York | 31 | 0 |
| Kansas | 1 | 0 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 0 |
Illinois led the nation with 22,274 workers affected across 27 notices , followed by California (12,137 workers) and Georgia (4,859 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 24 | 4,888 |
| Education | 3 | 2,321 |
| Retail | 29 | 1,946 |
| Transportation | 20 | 1,780 |
| Healthcare | 41 | 1,771 |
| Finance & Insurance | 52 | 1,388 |
| Information & Technology | 16 | 1,280 |
| Other | 12 | 915 |
| Accommodation & Food | 20 | 807 |
| Construction | 2 | 526 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 4,888 workers across 24 notices. Separately, Education reported 2,321 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 110 | 9,482 |
| Layoff | 156 | 8,634 |
| Temporary Layoff | 6 | 2,051 |
| Temporary Closure | 3 | 685 |
Closures accounted for 17% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heartland Alliance | 208 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 1300, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Menasha Packaging Company | 4545 W. Palmer Street, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| MV Transportation, Inc | 6230 W. Gross Point Road, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Sodexo, Inc. (at Lake Forest Academy) | 1500 W. Kennedy Road, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| T-Mobile USA, Inc | 1400 Opus Place, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Volition Games, LLC | 1 E. Main Street, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| WestRock Company | 9540 S. Dorchester Ave, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Radial, Inc | 715 Theodore Court, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Walgreens | 108 Wilmot Road, Illinois | 2,023 | |
| Zurn Elkay Water Solutions | 9223 King Street, Illinois | 2,023 |
Topping the list was Heartland Alliance in 208 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 1300, Illinois, reporting 2,023 affected workers. Menasha Packaging Company followed with 2,023 workers.
This is the third consecutive month of declining 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 September 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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