README.md

---
license: cc-by-4.0
language:
  - en
pretty_name: US WARN Layoffs Dataset (Workopia)
tags:
  - labor-economics
  - layoffs
  - WARN
  - employment
  - united-states
size_categories:
  - 10K<n<100K
task_categories:
  - tabular-classification
  - time-series-forecasting
configs:
  - config_name: default
    data_files: data/layoffs_us_warn.parquet
---

# US WARN Layoffs Dataset

A cleaned, event-level dataset of **United States layoff and plant-closure notices** filed under the
[WARN Act](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/layoffs/warn) (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification),
plus a small set of layoff disclosures from SEC 8-K filings. Compiled and maintained by
[Workopia](https://workopia.io).

WARN notices are **public records** that employers are legally required to file with state workforce
agencies ahead of mass layoffs or plant closings. This dataset normalizes those filings across states
into a single, analysis-ready table.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Events | **18,468** |
| Total employees affected | **2,306,915** |
| Notice-date range | **2004-01-12 → 2026-06-10** |
| Geographic coverage | United States, **35 states** |
| Primary source | State WARN portals (CA, TX, NJ, IL, WA, MD, …) |
| Secondary source | SEC 8-K Item 2.05 disclosures (140 events) |
| Granularity | One row per filed notice |
| PII | None — company / facility level only |

> **Density note.** Coverage is sparse before ~2015 and dense from **2020 onward** (COVID-era spike,
> then a 2025–2026 rise). Treat pre-2015 years as a thin historical tail, not a complete record.
> The dataset reflects WARN's universe (large layoffs above state thresholds, plant closings) — it is
> **not** a census of all U.S. job losses.

## Schema

| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `event_id` | string | Stable unique id for the notice |
| `company` | string | Company name as filed (may include facility detail) |
| `company_normalized` | string | Cleaned company name |
| `employees` | int | Workers affected (present for 94% of rows) |
| `kind` | string | Layoff / Closure / Unknown |
| `permanence` | string | Permanent / Temporary / Unknown |
| `notice_date` | date | Date the notice was filed |
| `effective_date` | date | Date layoffs take effect |
| `country` | string | Always `United States` |
| `state` | string | US state (2-letter) |
| `county` | string | County |
| `city` | string | City |
| `address` | string | Facility address (public WARN record) |
| `naics2` | string | 2-digit NAICS sector (present for ~8% only) |
| `sic` | string | SIC code where available |
| `industry` | string | Industry label (present for ~51%) |
| `ticker` | string | Stock ticker where mappable (~0.75% only) |
| `cik` | string | SEC CIK where available |
| `source_url` | string | Source filing / portal URL |
| `source_type` | string | e.g. `WARN_CA`, `WARN_TX`, `SEC_8K` |
| `sec_item_codes` | string | SEC 8-K item code(s) for 8-K-sourced rows |
| `notice_year` | int | Year of `notice_date` (convenience) |

## Known limitations

- **U.S.-only.** Non-U.S. layoffs are not included in this release.
- **Industry & ticker are sparse** (`naics2` ~8%, `industry` ~51%, `ticker` ~0.75%). Sector- and
  equity-level analysis requires additional enrichment.
- **WARN is not exhaustive** — thresholds, exemptions, and state-by-state filing differences mean
  smaller layoffs and some states are underrepresented.

## Suggested uses

- Tracking U.S. layoff trends over time (national and by state)
- Labor-market nowcasting and event studies
- Training/evaluation data for entity normalization and employment NLP

## Citation

```
Workopia (2026). US WARN Layoffs Dataset. https://workopia.io
```

## License

Released under **CC BY 4.0**. Underlying WARN notices are public records; this distribution is the
cleaned/normalized derivative compiled by Workopia.