How we source layoff news
Every item on EjectSeat links to a document you can read yourself: an SEC filing, a state WARN notice, or a named news report.
Where the data comes from
US public companies must file a Form 8-K within four business days of committing to a plan that involves exit or disposal costs, such as layoffs, site closures or product exits. That disclosure is Item 2.05. We search the SEC's EDGAR database for those filings, read the item text, and pull out the figures the company states: share of workforce, number of jobs, and restructuring charges.
What it covers
- US-listed companies, when their 8-K appears on EDGAR.
- Numbers exactly as the company states them. If a filing gives no figure, we show none.
- Restructurings without job cuts, labelled as restructuring and not as layoffs.
What it misses
- Private-company layoffs that no company statement or named news outlet has reported, and that fall below WARN thresholds.
- Layoffs a public company judges too small to disclose in an 8-K.
- Rumours, anonymous posts and unconfirmed aggregator entries. We wait for a primary report.
- Some state WARN notices. We read twelve states including California, Texas, and Washington (see WARN notices).
WARN notices
States publish mass-layoff and plant-closing notices under the federal WARN Act. These include private companies. We read the official public lists from California, Texas, Washington, Maryland, Missouri, Indiana, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Nebraska, and link each notice to its source. More states are being added.
Private companies and voluntary buyouts
Private companies never file 8-Ks, and voluntary buyouts rarely trigger an 8-K or a WARN notice. We record these as separate events, each with at least one named source: a company statement, an internal memo quoted by a major outlet, or a report from a Tier A/B news organisation. Each event is marked “Confirmed” or “Press report, unconfirmed”, and we only publish numbers a source states. See private company layoffs and voluntary buyouts.
How the totals are counted
The layoff tracker adds up jobs only where a source states a number, counts each company once at its largest stated figure across sources, and leaves voluntary buyouts out of job totals. Totals are therefore floors, not estimates. The underlying rows are free to download as CSV under CC BY 4.0.
Risk scores
The risk checker is a separate, forward-looking estimate based on filings, earnings-call transcripts and news. It is not a statement of fact and not investment advice.
Report a correction
If a figure or summary does not match the filing, email enquiries.talkace@gmail.com with the link to the filing. We correct confirmed errors promptly.