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US Layoffs — August 2026

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 232 WARN Act notices in August 2026, impacting roughly 20,456 workers — representing a pullback from July and down 31% versus August 2025. Filings came from 26 states and territories, with an average of 88 workers per notice.

232
Total Notices
20,456
Workers Affected
26
States Reporting
88
Avg per Notice
32
Closures

Weekly Reports

Week 1
60 notices · 4,890 workers
Week 2
65 notices · 6,638 workers
Week 3
43 notices · 4,285 workers
Week 4
64 notices · 4,643 workers

Top States by Workers Affected

State-by-state layoff summary
StateNoticesWorkers
California994,966
Illinois93,619
Washington152,193
Massachusetts101,321
Texas101,036
South Carolina8957
New Jersey14881
Maryland12872
Florida7728
Utah1723
Virginia5696
Tennessee5629
Wisconsin6309
Colorado5304
Alabama5291
Indiana2223
West Virginia1200
Iowa8173
Idaho1106
Nebraska191
North Carolina173
Missouri161
South Dakota12
Minnesota32
Maine10
Rhode Island10

California led the nation with 4,966 workers affected across 99 notices , followed by Illinois (3,619 workers) and Washington (2,193 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

Industry breakdown
IndustryNoticesWorkers
Manufacturing234,894
Healthcare262,740
Wholesale Trade102,001
Transportation7781
Accommodation & Food6688
Professional Services14638
Retail7617
Agriculture8557
Admin & Support Services23488
Information & Technology7458

The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 4,894 workers across 23 notices. In a parallel development, Healthcare reported 2,740 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Layoff types breakdown
TypeNoticesWorkers
Closure305,648
Layoff343,193
Temporary Closure2376

Closures accounted for 29% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

Largest layoff notices
CompanyLocationWorkersType
Tyson FoodsHillsdale, Illinois2,495Closure
Borton & SonsYakima, Washington928Layoff
24Hr HomecareLos Angeles, California738
Tyson Fresh MeatsEagle Mountain, Utah723
Community Healthlink, Inc. (aka CHL)Worcester and Leominster, Massachusetts639
Crothall Healthcare1500 Liberty Ridge Drive, Suite 210Wayne, PA 19087Richmond, Virginia545Closure
EssendantLincolnshire, Illinois510Closure
JabilLake Forest, California382
USA, Inc DBA Hello FreshSwedesboro, New Jersey374
AmentumHanover, Maryland317Layoff

The single largest action involved Tyson Foods in Hillsdale, Illinois, reporting 2,495 affected workers. Borton & Sons followed with 928 workers.

Trend & Outlook

The data underscores a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in August 2026. 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.

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