US Layoffs — August 2026
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 263 WARN Act notices in August 2026, impacting roughly 25,200 workers — representing a pullback from July and down 17% versus August 2025. Filings came from 33 states and territories, with an average of 96 workers per notice.
Weekly Reports
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 100 | 5,085 |
| Illinois | 9 | 3,619 |
| Georgia | 13 | 2,320 |
| Washington | 15 | 2,193 |
| Massachusetts | 10 | 1,321 |
| Texas | 10 | 1,036 |
| South Carolina | 8 | 957 |
| Maryland | 13 | 877 |
| Ohio | 5 | 868 |
| New Jersey | 9 | 866 |
| New York | 4 | 758 |
| Florida | 7 | 728 |
| Utah | 1 | 723 |
| Virginia | 5 | 696 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 629 |
| Colorado | 6 | 394 |
| Arizona | 6 | 364 |
| Wisconsin | 6 | 309 |
| Alabama | 5 | 291 |
| Indiana | 2 | 223 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 200 |
| Iowa | 9 | 174 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 128 |
| Idaho | 1 | 106 |
| Delaware | 1 | 106 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 91 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 73 |
| Missouri | 1 | 61 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 2 |
| Minnesota | 3 | 2 |
| Maine | 1 | 0 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 0 |
California led the nation with 5,085 workers affected across 100 notices , followed by Illinois (3,619 workers) and Georgia (2,320 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 29 | 5,807 |
| Healthcare | 29 | 3,722 |
| Wholesale Trade | 14 | 2,411 |
| Agriculture | 11 | 939 |
| Transportation | 7 | 781 |
| Professional Services | 15 | 713 |
| Accommodation & Food | 8 | 712 |
| Information & Technology | 8 | 643 |
| Retail | 7 | 617 |
| Admin & Support Services | 23 | 488 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 5,807 workers across 29 notices. In a parallel development, Healthcare reported 3,722 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 40 | 6,931 |
| Layoff | 44 | 4,140 |
| Temporary Closure | 2 | 376 |
Closures accounted for 29% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyson Foods | Hillsdale, Illinois | 2,495 | Closure |
| Borton & Sons | Yakima, Washington | 928 | Layoff |
| Wellstar Health System | Marietta, Georgia | 761 | |
| 24Hr Homecare | Los Angeles, California | 738 | |
| Tyson Fresh Meats | Eagle Mountain, Utah | 723 | |
| Community Healthlink, Inc. (aka CHL) | Worcester and Leominster, Massachusetts | 639 | |
| Crothall Healthcare | Richmond, Virginia | 545 | Closure |
| Essendant | Lincolnshire, Illinois | 510 | Closure |
| SDH Services West | Cincinnati, Ohio | 488 | Closure |
| Sky Chefs | Jamaica, New York | 471 | Layoff |
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.