455,174 workers were affected by WARN Act layoffs in 2020
According to WARN Act filings submitted to state workforce agencies, 2020 recorded 2,647 WARN notices affecting 455,174 workers, averaging 172 workers per notice.
The single largest filer in 2020, United Airlines, accounts for 9% of workers named in that year's recorded WARN filings.
Monthly Workers Affected - 2020
2020 filing desk
The five largest recorded WARN filings in each month, ordered by workers affected. This is a guide to the source-backed employer records, not a complete list of all filings.
Jan 2020 53 recorded notices · 9,058 workers
- 4 Astria Regional Medical Center Yakima, WA · filed 2020-01-08 463workers
- 2 Aramark (at VCU Health Systems) Richmond, VA · filed 2020-01-13 572workers
- 5 LSC Communications Strasburg, VA · filed 2020-01-14 384workers
- 1 IAS Logistics DFW, LLC d/b/a Pinnacle Logistics 1, MD · filed 2020-01-15 1,609workers
- 3 Collington Distribution Center 8, MD · filed 2020-01-29 520workers
Feb 2020 45 recorded notices · 6,848 workers
- 2 Durham School Services Indianapolis, IN · filed 2020-02-07 514workers
- 1 Concordia University Portland, OR · filed 2020-02-12 1,012workers
- 4 AmerisourceBergen-PharMedium Healthcare Sugar Land, TX · filed 2020-02-19 365workers
- 3 Expedia Seattle, WA · filed 2020-02-27 442workers
- 5 Caito Foods Indianapolis, IN · filed 2020-02-27 333workers
Mar 2020 911 recorded notices · 69,496 workers
- 1 Haliburton Energy Services-N. Sam Houston Houston, TX · filed 2020-03-18 3,500workers
- 3 Sub-Zero Group Fitchburg, WI · filed 2020-03-20 1,043workers
- 5 Kettle Moraine YMCA West Bend, Port Washington, WI · filed 2020-03-25 700workers
- 4 NHK Seating of America Frankfort, IN · filed 2020-03-28 883workers
- 2 The Broadmoor CO · filed 2020-03-31 1,411workers
Apr 2020 646 recorded notices · 86,601 workers
- 2 YMCA of Greater Seattle Seattle, WA · filed 2020-04-07 2,222workers
- 5 YMCA-San Antonio San Antonio, TX · filed 2020-04-07 1,679workers
- 3 Seattle Goodwill Industries Western Washington, WA · filed 2020-04-08 2,192workers
- 1 Disney Burbank, CA · filed 2020-04-20 7,000workers
- 4 Horseshoe Hammond Hammond, IN · filed 2020-04-28 1,693workers
May 2020 185 recorded notices · 38,243 workers
- 2 United States Steel Corporation Gary and Portage Gary and Portage, IN · filed 2020-05-01 3,765workers
- 5 Airbnb San Francisco, CA · filed 2020-05-05 1,900workers
- 1 Uber Technologies San Francisco, CA · filed 2020-05-06 6,700workers
- 4 PPE Casino Resorts Maryland, LLC d/b/a Live Casino & Hotel 1, MD · filed 2020-05-12 2,400workers
- 3 Pier 1 Imports Fort Worth, TX · filed 2020-05-19 2,500workers
Jun 2020 201 recorded notices · 41,107 workers
- 4 Gaylord - Grapevine Grapevine, TX · filed 2020-06-04 1,426workers
- 5 Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center CO · filed 2020-06-05 1,226workers
- 1 Boeing Puget Sound Area, WA · filed 2020-06-08 5,798workers
- 2 BP Houston, TX · filed 2020-06-08 4,000workers
- 3 Gaylord National Harbor Resort and Conference Center 8, MD · filed 2020-06-15 2,077workers
Jul 2020 169 recorded notices · 51,163 workers
- 3 United Airlines Dulles, VA · filed 2020-07-08 3,036workers
- 4 United Airlines (Washington Dulles International Airport) Dulles, VA · filed 2020-07-08 3,036workers
- 5 United Airlines CO · filed 2020-07-08 2,820workers
- 2 Lord and Taylor New York, NY · filed 2020-07-09 3,500workers
- 1 Boeing Seattle, WA · filed 2020-07-29 16,000workers
Aug 2020 95 recorded notices · 8,800 workers
- 4 Sky Chefs SeaTac, WA · filed 2020-08-04 360workers
- 1 Carlisle Interconnect Technologies Kent, WA · filed 2020-08-12 595workers
- 5 Rex Staffing LLC-Country Fresh Products Houston, TX · filed 2020-08-13 310workers
- 3 JW Marriot Resort and SPA - San Antonio San Antonio, TX · filed 2020-08-27 461workers
- 2 Boeing Puget Sound Area, WA · filed 2020-08-31 592workers
Sep 2020 108 recorded notices · 40,724 workers
- 4 Marriott International 7, MD · filed 2020-09-03 673workers
- 3 Chevron San Ramon, CA · filed 2020-09-18 700workers
- 5 Boeing Puget Sound Area, WA · filed 2020-09-21 530workers
- 1 Disney Burbank, CA · filed 2020-09-29 28,000workers
- 2 Busch Gardens Williamsburg Williamsburg, VA · filed 2020-09-30 1,810workers
Oct 2020 66 recorded notices · 89,093 workers
- 1 United Airlines Chicago, IL · filed 2020-10-01 36,000workers
- 2 American Airlines Fort Worth, TX · filed 2020-10-01 19,000workers
- 3 Delta Air Lines Atlanta, GA · filed 2020-10-01 17,000workers
- 4 Southwest Airlines Dallas, TX · filed 2020-10-01 7,000workers
- 5 ExxonMobil Irving, TX · filed 2020-10-09 1,600workers
Nov 2020 82 recorded notices · 7,288 workers
- 5 Boston Scientific Bothell, WA · filed 2020-11-06 230workers
- 3 Elmer's Restaurants Portland, OR · filed 2020-11-13 280workers
- 4 Centerplate Sodexo CO · filed 2020-11-17 276workers
- 1 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church & Vienna, VA · filed 2020-11-23 1,141workers
- 2 Washington Metro Area Transit Authority 7,8, MD · filed 2020-11-24 1,100workers
Dec 2020 86 recorded notices · 6,753 workers
- 1 Exxon Mobil Campus Spring, TX · filed 2020-12-02 677workers
- 3 White Stallion Energy Evansville and Illinois, IN · filed 2020-12-02 338workers
- 2 Southwest-Dallas Love Field Dallas, TX · filed 2020-12-03 465workers
- 5 Francesca's Holdings Corp - Clay Rd Houston, TX · filed 2020-12-04 223workers
- 4 IBEX New Braunfels, TX · filed 2020-12-22 248workers
Where 2020 filings landed
States ranked by workers affected in notices filed in 2020 (showing 10 of 12 states with filings). The top five hold 66% of the year's affected workers.
Largest single 2020 filing
One notice, not the employer's annual sum: the biggest individual WARN disclosure filed in 2020.
Filing type on record: layoff
Top Employers by Workers - 2020
Showing the 20 largest of 2,400 employers that filed in 2020.
| # | Company | Workers | Notices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Airlines | 42,301 | 6 |
| 2 | Disney | 35,000 | 2 |
| 3 | Boeing | 24,528 | 6 |
| 4 | American Airlines | 19,112 | 3 |
| 5 | Delta Air Lines | 17,074 | 2 |
| 6 | Southwest Airlines | 7,210 | 7 |
| 7 | Uber Technologies | 6,700 | 1 |
| 8 | Haliburton Energy Services-N. Sam Houston | 4,484 | 2 |
| 9 | BP | 4,000 | 1 |
| 10 | United States Steel Corporation Gary and Portage | 3,765 | 1 |
| 11 | Lord and Taylor | 3,500 | 1 |
| 12 | United Airlines (Washington Dulles International Airport) | 3,036 | 1 |
| 13 | Pier 1 Imports | 2,683 | 3 |
| 14 | YMCA of Greater Seattle | 2,410 | 3 |
| 15 | PPE Casino Resorts Maryland, LLC d/b/a Live Casino & Hotel | 2,400 | 1 |
| 16 | Seattle Goodwill Industries | 2,192 | 1 |
| 17 | Gaylord National Harbor Resort and Conference Center | 2,077 | 1 |
| 18 | Airbnb | 1,900 | 1 |
| 19 | Forest County Potawatomi Community | 1,835 | 1 |
| 20 | Busch Gardens Williamsburg | 1,810 | 1 |
Industries
Top 10 of 18 sectors with filings.
What the 2020 WARN Record Shows
In 2020, employers filed 2,647 WARN Act notices in this dataset, reporting 455,174 affected workers across 2,400 employers and 18 sectors.
Oct was the heaviest month, with 89,093 workers (20% of the 2020 total). Against 2019, workers affected rose 886%. That makes 2020 the 1st-largest of the 19 years on record. United Airlines alone accounts for 9% of the year's affected workers. Other Services led sector totals at 34% of 2020 workers, ahead of Transportation & Warehousing. TX led the geography at 126,102 workers (28% of 2020), ahead of WA, so one state shapes the annual map. The single largest 2020 filing was United Airlines in Chicago, IL at 36,000 workers (8% of the year), noticed 2020-10-01.
Closest years by workers affected: 2023 (251,081 workers, 45% lower); 2024 (146,022 workers, 68% lower); 2025 (145,934 workers, 68% lower); 2022 (88,267 workers, 81% lower).
Coverage limits, filing-year rules, and entitlements
WARN notices cover qualifying events, not every workforce reduction: federal coverage depends on the employer, worksite, event size, workforce share, timing, and exceptions, while state rules can differ. At an average of 172 workers per notice, 2020 filings tracked with mid-scale restructuring and consolidation within multi-site operators. A notice is counted in the year it was FILED, not the year separations take effect, so a December filing whose layoffs land in January still belongs here. A listed worker or filing does not by itself establish an individual entitlement; our guide explains the factors to check.
Layoff resources
Frequently Asked Questions about 2020
How many workers were laid off in 2020? ▼
In 2020, WARN Act filings reported 455,174 workers affected across 2,647 notices.
Which companies had the biggest layoffs in 2020? ▼
United Airlines filed the largest 2020 total at 42,301 workers across 6 notices, 9% of the year, followed by Disney at 35,000 and Boeing at 24,528.
Are layoffs increasing or decreasing in 2020? ▼
Workers affected rose 886% against 2019, from 46,180 to 455,174.
What industries had the most layoffs in 2020? ▼
Other Services led 2020 with 154,480 workers across 1,608 notices, then Transportation & Warehousing at 107,858. 18 sectors recorded filings in total.
Which states had the most WARN layoffs in 2020? ▼
TX led 2020 with 126,102 workers (28% of the year), followed by WA at 60,776. The top five states held 66% of affected workers.
What was the largest single WARN filing in 2020? ▼
The largest individual notice filed in 2020 was United Airlines (Chicago, IL) for 36,000 workers on 2020-10-01 (effective 2020-10-01). That is one disclosure, not United Airlines's full-year total across every notice.
Does the WARN Act data capture all layoffs in 2020? ▼
No. WARN notices cover qualifying events, not every workforce reduction. Federal coverage depends on the employer, worksite, event size, workforce share, timing, and exceptions; state rules can differ. Gradual attrition and voluntary separation programs are also not included, so actual job losses can be higher than the WARN record alone suggests.
Cite, share, or download this year record
Source: U.S. Department of Labor and state WARN Act layoff registries 2020 WARN Act filings compiled from public state workforce agency disclosures · September 2026 WARN filings cover qualifying notices, not every workforce reduction; this public-record summary is not legal, financial, or employment advice.
2020 totals are compiled directly from WARN Act filings filed in that calendar year. The full employer roster CSV lives on our open data page.
2020 WARN totals compiled from official state WARN-Act layoff registries ; largest single filing on record was United Airlines (36,000 workers). See our methodology. Retrieved and formatted by PlainLayoffs for the 2020 filing year (as of September 2026).