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Mass Layoffs Ahead: Which Companies Are Cutting Jobs Next?

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A new month is bringing a fresh wave of job cuts across the United States, with multiple employers reporting layoffs scheduled to take effect in August, according to recent public Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filings.

WARN notices are typically required when companies with 100 or more employees plan a mass layoff or plant closing affecting at least 50 workers.

These are some of the companies planning layoffs in August.

Why It Matters

The labor market has remained relatively resilient in 2026, but layoffs continue across a range of industries from technology and retail to manufacturing and healthcare.

Because WARN notices are often filed weeks before layoffs take effect, they can provide an early indication of workforce reductions to come.

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Companies Reporting August Layoffs

The following companies have WARN-tracked layoffs scheduled to take effect in August:

  • Prairie Farms Dairy
  • Elite Comfort Solutions
  • NBCUniversal
  • ILPEA Industries
  • Red Lobster
  • 6th Street Center for Youth
  • Independence Premium Foods
  • SDH Education East
  • Expeditors International of Washington
  • Joymark
  • General Dynamics
  • Amazon
  • T&H Services
  • Laboure College of Healthcare
  • BrandFX
  • MV Transportation
  • FedEx
  • Levi Strauss & Co
  • Sunrise Transportation
  • Walmart

Retail giant Walmart has several California WARN notices scheduled for August 21, affecting workers in San Bruno and multiple Sunnyvale locations.

The layoff filings range from one worker to dozens per site, with a San Bruno filing affecting 88 employees and several Sunnyvale notices affecting between 49 and 68 workers.

There are many factors that have contributed to the layoffs nationwide, and much of it comes down to broader business uncertainty and a job market that has exited a rapid expansion phase, experts say.

"While everyone from lawmakers to economists will blame certain factors, the primary reason behind all finger-pointing is ultimately uncertainty," Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek.

"The good news is the labor market has proven to be largely resilient over the last year, but the sectors seeing employment gains are increasingly uneven.”

What Is the WARN Act?

The federal WARN Act generally requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide 60 days' advance notice before a plant closure or mass layoff affecting at least 50 workers. The law is intended to give workers time to prepare for job loss and seek alternative employment opportunities.

However, states like California and New York have expanded protections through state-level WARN statutes, which can require notices in circumstances beyond just federal law.

What Workers Should Know

A WARN notice does not necessarily mean a company-wide restructuring.

Many of the filings are related to specific offices or business units. Notices can also be reduced or rescinded.

"From continued inflationary pressures weighing on their customers to whether or not AI can fulfill its financial potential of significant savings, the concern over not knowing what economically is to come can lead to fewer new positions being created," Beene said.

"These layoffs do not yet signal a collapsing labor market, but they do suggest it is becoming a ‘low-hire, low-fire’ economy."

What Happens Next

Layoffs have continued to make headlines across industries, but public WARN data also shows that many employers are restructuring specific business units or locations rather than implementing companywide cuts.

The next major signals for the labor market will come from upcoming federal employment reports, which will more fully show whether job growth is keeping pace with layoffs and if unemployment remains near recent levels.

"Layoffs will likely keep continuing unemployment claims near current levels and reduce consumer spending at the margin," Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. "However, much of that decline in discretionary spending is offset by higher prices for non-discretionary goods and services."

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