US Layoffs October 2026: What the WARN Data Shows Right Now
If you want to know where US layoffs actually stand in October 2026, the most reliable public signal is the federal WARN Act system — the advance notices employers are legally required to file before large layoffs and plant closures. Layoff Atlas currently tracks 750 such notices covering 69,260 workers across the United States.
These figures come from state labor agency filings, updated as new notices are published. They represent a rolling 90-day window of published notice dates, which is why the totals move from week to week.
The headline numbers
As of October 8, 2026, the registry shows:
- 750 WARN notices filed across US jurisdictions
- 69,260 workers covered by those notices
- 48 of 51 jurisdictions have imported records
The more useful way to read this data is as a timeline. WARN notices include an effective date (when the layoffs actually take effect), so the data shows not just what has been announced, but what is scheduled to happen in the coming weeks.
What is coming: layoffs by effective week
- Week of Oct 7 — 2,902 workers
- Week of Oct 14 — 3,726 workers
- Week of Oct 21 — 1,317 workers
- Week of Oct 28 — 8,220 workers
- Week of Nov 4 — 3,760 workers
- Week of Nov 11 — 6,124 workers
The week of October 28 stands out sharply: 8,220 workers — more than double any other week in the window. The Nov 11 figure (6,124) is also elevated, suggesting the pace continues into mid-November.
Which states are hit hardest
- Washington — 16,776 workers
- California — 15,910 workers
- Illinois — 4,861 workers
- Texas — 3,957 workers
- Ohio — 3,224 workers
Washington and California together account for roughly 47% of all workers in the registry.
What these numbers are — and are not
These are reported plans, not confirmed job losses. A WARN notice is an advance notification of an intended layoff. Plans can change. Coverage gaps exist: the federal threshold (generally 100+ employees) means smaller layoffs never appear, and state mini-WARN rules vary. Worker totals exclude records with unavailable headcounts, so true figures are likely higher.
Why WARN data matters more than headlines
Most layoff news is anecdotal. WARN data gives you the aggregate: every qualifying filing, in one place, with dates and locations — one of the few near-real-time indicators of labor market stress.
Data source: figures from Layoff Atlas, current as of October 8, 2026.
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