New York, NY — New York’s economy continues to show signs of resilience in sectors such as finance, technology and artificial intelligence, but a review of the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filings paints a more complicated picture. Throughout the year, employers have reported thousands of planned job losses tied to layoffs, facility closures, restructurings and business relocations, affecting workers from New York City to Buffalo and the North Country.
The filings reveal a common theme: while many companies remain committed to operating in New York, a growing number are reducing their footprint by consolidating offices, relocating operations, automating work or shutting facilities altogether. The trend stretches across industries including technology, manufacturing, media, retail, healthcare and transportation.
Meta accounts for the largest wave of layoffs
No company announced more New York job cuts than Meta.
The social media giant filed three WARN notices covering its Manhattan offices at 380 West 33rd Street, 415 10th Avenue and 770 Broadway. Combined, the notices affect 1,160 employees, making Meta responsible for the largest concentration of layoffs reported in New York this year. The company cited economic conditions as the reason for the workforce reductions.
Several companies filed multiple notices affecting different facilities. Combined, they represent even larger impacts:
| Company | Combined NY Jobs |
|---|---|
| Meta | 1,160 |
| Amazon | 792 |
| Sodexo (SDH Education West) | 689 |
| Morgan Stanley | 274 |
| Federal Express | 177 |
| Saks & Company | 173 |
| Rising Ground | 257 |
| Knight Facilities Management | Numerous small closures across dozens of locations |
The filings underscore an ongoing trend among major technology companies that have spent the past several years trimming payrolls after rapid hiring during the pandemic-era technology boom. Although Meta continues investing heavily in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, its WARN filings indicate a significantly smaller New York workforce.
Amazon continues reducing its New York footprint
Amazon also appears prominently in the WARN data.
The company announced the closure of its Lancaster facility in Erie County, affecting 542 employees. Separate notices covering Long Island facilities in Oceanside and East Setauket eliminated another 115 positions, while a Manhattan office at 1440 Broadway reported an additional 135 layoffs. Together, Amazon’s filings total nearly 800 New York jobs affected. The company listed economic conditions as the reason for the reductions.
While Amazon continues investing in logistics and cloud computing nationally, the New York WARN filings show the company consolidating several operations within the state.
Business relocations continue affecting New York workers
Unlike layoffs driven by declining sales or contract losses, several WARN notices specifically identify relocation of business as the reason employees are losing their jobs.
Novanta Corporation announced it would close its North Syracuse operation because of a business relocation affecting 49 workers. Resideo’s ADI distribution business reported relocating operations from Albany County, impacting 55 employees, while Coral Graphic Services announced an 85-person closure tied directly to relocating its Nassau County operation.
The Rockefeller University also cited relocation of business in a notice affecting 27 workers, while Nespresso listed both relocation of business and artificial intelligence among the reasons behind a 46-person workforce reduction in Manhattan.
The WARN filings generally identify that operations are being relocated but do not specify where those jobs are moving.
Media and finance companies trim payrolls
Several recognizable New York employers also reported significant reductions.
NBCUniversal filed a notice covering 123 employees at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Vimeo announced 133 layoffs at its Manhattan headquarters, while Morgan Stanley reported workforce reductions spread across several Midtown offices totaling more than 270 employees.
H&M Fashion USA also reported 76 layoffs in Manhattan, and Oracle America filed a notice affecting 62 employees in Westchester County following a contract termination.
Although these companies continue maintaining substantial New York operations, the filings illustrate how employers are restructuring their workforces while reducing office space and staffing levels.
Manufacturing communities continue to lose jobs
Outside New York City, manufacturing remains one of the sectors facing the greatest challenges.
Bush Industries, doing business as eSolutions Group, announced the elimination of 237 jobs in Chautauqua County after filing for bankruptcy. International Imaging Materials, also known as Armor-IIMAK, reported the closure of its Erie County operation affecting 199 workers. HNI Workplace Furnishings announced another 123-job closure in Steuben County.
Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics filed a notice eliminating 79 jobs in Chautauqua County because of economic conditions, while Finger Lakes On Wheels closed its Steuben County operation affecting 85 employees.
These losses are particularly significant for upstate communities where manufacturing employers often represent some of the largest local sources of private-sector employment.
Human services providers face funding and contract losses
Several nonprofit organizations and human services providers also announced substantial reductions.
Cayuga Home for Children reported the closure of its Manhattan operation affecting 319 employees, citing contract loss, contract termination, economic conditions and funding loss. The Children’s Village announced a 200-worker closure in Westchester County after contract losses and expirations, while Rising Ground filed multiple notices affecting employees across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Westchester.
Maximus also announced 176 layoffs in Monroe County following a contract loss, illustrating how government-funded service providers remain particularly vulnerable when public contracts end or funding priorities change.
Retail and hospitality continue restructuring
Retailers and hospitality companies also contributed to New York’s WARN totals.
Saks & Company filed multiple notices connected to bankruptcy proceedings, including a Manhattan location affecting 136 employees. Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) announced the closure of its SoHo store affecting 72 workers, while IPIC Theaters reported a 58-person closure tied to bankruptcy.
Spirit Airlines eliminated 186 positions connected to its LaGuardia Airport operation following its bankruptcy restructuring, and Sardi’s Enterprises announced a 62-worker closure after the sale of its business.
Several restaurant operators, entertainment venues and smaller retailers also filed notices throughout the year, reflecting continued pressure on consumer-facing businesses.
Transportation companies see contract-driven cuts
Transportation and logistics providers experienced another difficult year.
Piedmont Airlines announced the closure of its Syracuse operation affecting 88 employees after losing a contract. Federal Express filed multiple notices covering facilities across Cheektowaga, Syracuse, Binghamton, Horseheads, Oriskany and Ithaca as the company consolidated operations.
Van Trans also announced 297 layoffs in Westchester County following a contract termination, demonstrating how changes in public and private transportation contracts can quickly affect hundreds of workers.
The reasons behind New York’s layoffs
The WARN filings show that no single factor is driving New York’s workforce reductions.
Economic conditions remain one of the most frequently cited reasons, particularly among technology companies and manufacturers. Contract losses and contract expirations account for many layoffs involving transportation providers, nonprofit organizations and government contractors. Bankruptcy continues affecting retail and hospitality businesses, while mergers, funding losses, lease expirations and business relocations also appear repeatedly throughout the filings.
Only a handful of employers specifically identify relocation of business as the cause of layoffs, but those filings provide a clear indication that some operations are leaving their current New York locations altogether.
Why it matters
The WARN notices do not necessarily indicate that companies are abandoning New York entirely. Many continue to maintain headquarters, offices or significant operations in the state while restructuring portions of their workforce.
Still, the filings collectively demonstrate that New York employers are continuing to adapt to changing economic conditions by reducing payrolls, consolidating facilities, relocating selected operations and investing in new technologies that require fewer workers. From Manhattan’s technology sector to upstate manufacturing communities, the cumulative effect has been thousands of announced job losses spread across nearly every region of the state.
For policymakers, business leaders and workers alike, the WARN data offers one of the clearest snapshots of how New York’s employment landscape continues to evolve—and which industries are facing the greatest pressure as companies reshape their operations for the future.
