US Layoffs — April 2024
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 509 WARN Act notices in April 2024, impacting roughly 37,306 workers — representing a notable rise over March and down 10% versus April 2023. Filings came from 37 states and territories, with an average of 73 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 269 | 14,391 |
| Texas | 9 | 3,269 |
| Illinois | 18 | 2,347 |
| Nevada | 9 | 2,149 |
| Arizona | 7 | 1,979 |
| Ohio | 11 | 1,527 |
| Maryland | 6 | 1,377 |
| Oregon | 5 | 1,007 |
| Wisconsin | 9 | 989 |
| Massachusetts | 8 | 782 |
| Florida | 34 | 753 |
| Michigan | 11 | 615 |
| Alabama | 6 | 559 |
| Iowa | 13 | 548 |
| South Carolina | 7 | 466 |
| Washington | 10 | 453 |
| Indiana | 5 | 380 |
| Georgia | 5 | 354 |
| Virginia | 3 | 336 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 305 |
| Colorado | 6 | 302 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 277 |
| Louisiana | 6 | 251 |
| Utah | 1 | 250 |
| Minnesota | 15 | 248 |
| Mississippi | 5 | 243 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | 243 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 180 |
| Maine | 3 | 144 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 135 |
| Missouri | 2 | 119 |
| Hawaii | 2 | 111 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 88 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 56 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 50 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | 18 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 5 |
California led the nation with 14,391 workers affected across 269 notices , followed by Texas (3,269 workers) and Illinois (2,347 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 146 | 14,972 |
| Retail | 56 | 4,888 |
| Information & Technology | 86 | 3,259 |
| Healthcare | 55 | 2,306 |
| Transportation | 24 | 2,211 |
| Accommodation & Food | 24 | 2,118 |
| Professional Services | 18 | 2,029 |
| Education | 16 | 803 |
| Utilities | 20 | 732 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 5 | 602 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 14,972 workers across 146 notices. In a parallel development, Retail reported 4,888 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 212 | 13,211 |
| Closure | 159 | 12,139 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 239 |
| Temporary Layoff | 1 | 78 |
Closures accounted for 33% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla | Austin, Texas | 2,688 | |
| Tesla | Fremont, California | 1,452 | Layoff |
| 99 Cents Only | City of Commerce, Arizona | 1,400 | |
| NIKE | Beaverton, Oregon | 740 | Layoff |
| Tesla | Sparks, Nevada | 693 | Layoff |
| Sparks | Washoe, Nevada | 693 | Layoff |
| Express | Columbus, Ohio | 615 | |
| Quaker Manufacturing | Danville, Illinois | 510 | Closure |
| Jacobs Technology | Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland | 463 | Layoff |
| Jacobs Solutions | Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland | 463 |
The single largest action involved Tesla in Austin, Texas, reporting 2,688 affected workers. Tesla followed with 1,452 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores 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 April 2024. 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.