US Layoffs — October 2023
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 433 WARN Act notices in October 2023, displacing an estimated 33,263 workers — signaling an acceleration from September and up 18% versus October 2022. Filings came from 38 states and territories, with an average of 77 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 152 | 8,265 |
| Texas | 50 | 3,889 |
| Michigan | 15 | 3,188 |
| Illinois | 14 | 1,965 |
| New Jersey | 11 | 1,865 |
| Washington | 9 | 1,059 |
| North Carolina | 10 | 1,038 |
| Oregon | 16 | 1,021 |
| Arizona | 4 | 1,010 |
| Ohio | 9 | 981 |
| Tennessee | 8 | 954 |
| Wisconsin | 10 | 843 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 817 |
| Nevada | 8 | 760 |
| New Mexico | 3 | 737 |
| Virginia | 6 | 604 |
| Mississippi | 9 | 482 |
| South Carolina | 8 | 468 |
| Minnesota | 8 | 381 |
| Indiana | 6 | 372 |
| Georgia | 5 | 335 |
| Utah | 3 | 332 |
| Florida | 11 | 279 |
| Missouri | 3 | 242 |
| Connecticut | 5 | 226 |
| Maryland | 4 | 209 |
| Colorado | 9 | 207 |
| Iowa | 8 | 144 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 136 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 135 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 79 |
| Nebraska | 4 | 67 |
| New York | 2 | 47 |
| Idaho | 6 | 45 |
| North Dakota | 2 | 36 |
| South Dakota | 3 | 30 |
| Massachusetts | 3 | 9 |
| Maine | 2 | 6 |
California led the nation with 8,265 workers affected across 152 notices , followed by Texas (3,889 workers) and Michigan (3,188 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 128 | 14,951 |
| Transportation | 26 | 5,055 |
| Information & Technology | 37 | 2,814 |
| Healthcare | 39 | 2,580 |
| Finance & Insurance | 30 | 1,455 |
| Retail | 20 | 1,309 |
| Professional Services | 10 | 1,154 |
| Government | 71 | 845 |
| Accommodation & Food | 15 | 731 |
| Utilities | 21 | 352 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 14,951 workers across 128 notices. Notably, Transportation reported 5,055 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 123 | 10,429 |
| Layoff | 133 | 7,683 |
Closures accounted for 31% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dryer's Grand Ice Cream | Bakersfield, California | 1,015 | Layoff |
| General Motors | Lake Orion, Michigan | 945 | |
| General Motors | Lake Orion, Michigan | 911 | |
| Transdev Services | Tempe, Arizona | 829 | |
| Pfizer | Gladstone, New Jersey | 791 | |
| MV- Transportation Austin (South Yard) | Austin, Texas | 778 | |
| UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center | Rio Rancho, New Mexico | 641 | |
| Stitch Fix | Dallas, Texas | 558 | |
| Jabil | San Jose, California | 550 | Closure |
| Convoy | Seattle, Washington | 533 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Dryer's Grand Ice Cream in Bakersfield, California, reporting 1,015 affected workers. General Motors followed with 945 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in October 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, 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.