WARN Act Layoffs vs Job Openings
Monthly employees affected by mass layoffs compared with JOLTS job openings data, 2001–present
Job openings and mass layoffs move in opposite directions. When openings peaked at 12.1 million in March 2022, annual WARN layoffs were at their lowest in over a decade. Conversely, when openings collapsed to 2.2 million during the 2009 recession, layoffs hit their highest levels outside of COVID. Openings have fallen 46% from their 2022 peak and currently sit at 6.5M — below pre-pandemic levels — while layoffs have risen in tandem.
Source: WARN Act filings (48 states + DC) • Bureau of Labor Statistics (JOLTS)
Peak Layoff Months
The five months with the highest number of employees affected by WARN Act filings (2001–present):
| Month | Employees Affected | Notices Filed |
|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | 538,278 | 4,205 |
| April 2020 | 145,869 | 1,226 |
| September 2020 | 80,247 | 319 |
| October 2020 | 71,235 | 326 |
| May 2020 | 56,040 | 431 |
About This Data
WARN Act Layoff Data
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs (50+ workers) and plant closures. LayoffAlert aggregates WARN filings from 48 US states and DC. Data from 2023 onward is collected via daily automated scraping of state government sources. Historical data (pre-2023) is sourced from a comprehensive CSV database of WARN filings.
JOLTS Job Openings
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) is published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It measures the number of unfilled job positions across the US economy. Job openings serve as a leading indicator of labor demand — when openings decline, it signals that employers are pulling back on hiring, which often precedes a rise in layoffs. The JOLTS survey has been conducted since December 2000. Data is sourced from the FRED database, series JTSJOL.
Limitations
- WARN Act filings undercount total layoffs — the Act only covers employers with 100+ workers and layoffs affecting 50+ employees.
- JOLTS data is released with a roughly two-month lag and is subject to revision.
- Job openings and layoffs can move independently in sector-specific downturns where some industries cut while others hire.
- The post-2020 labor market has exhibited unusual patterns that may not reflect historical norms.