No matter what industry a person works in, and no matter whether they are a white collar worker or a blue-collar worker, most American workers are regularly worried about layoffs. And that fear is more profound right now, as layoffs are at their highest levels since the 2020 pandemic.
Workers all over the country, whether they live in big states or small ones, or urban or rural areas, are being let go at high levels. These are the nine states with the highest layoff rates in 2025. The layoff rate measures the number of people laid off per 1,000 workers.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country by mass and the 7th least populous. That does not make the area immune to layoffs, as the Ocean State has one of the highest rates of layoffs in the entire country.
The layoffs have occurred in several sections. Some come from CVS, as the drugstore chain has closed stores all over the country. The bio-tech sector has also been hit as Vertex Pharmaceuticals laid off workers, as did the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority.
Arkansas
Arkansas is certainly a state that is friendly to Donald Trump, as the president won the state by nearly 31% in 2024. And Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the governor of Arkansas, once served as Donald Trump’s press secretary. That hasn’t prevented the state from being hit by federal workforce cuts.
The federal cuts, brought along by Trump and Elon Musk, resulted in layoffs at Arkansas’ Buffalo National River. The cuts also affected the Department of Health, as additional workers who were hired with COVID-19 grants have now been let go.
West Virginia
West Virginia operates differently than most other areas due to the state’s dependence on the coal industry. As coal becomes less popular, Donald Trump has promised to do what he can for coal workers in the state. But the industry has been hit hard by layoffs so far this year.
Some of the biggest layoffs came from Civil LLC, a coal firm that is laying off 281 people. Layoffs are also coming from Core Natural Resources, Coal Mac and Coronado Global Resources. Layoffs in the industry seem likely to continue despite the president’s promises to revitalize the market.
Connecticut
Connecticut is another smaller area, but the state packs a mighty economic punch. It produces the second-largest GDP in New England. And while it is only the 48th largest country by area, it also boasts the 15th largest economy in the country.
CVS has a large office in Hartford, and 164 workers from that office have been laid off. Also hurt is the biotech industry, as Arvinas and RallyBio are cutting their workforce. Connecticut workers at Rheem are also losing their jobs as the manufacturer announced that it would be closing its plant in the town of Waterbury.
New Hampshire
The small state of New Hampshire brings in money in several different ways, including a thriving tourism business, several healthcare locations and manufacturing and technological companies. But so far in 2025, the state has the 5th-worst layoff rate in the entire country.
Like many others, New Hampshire has been hurt by the federal layoffs, as that encompasses many of the state’s cuts. Online college Southern New Hampshire University has also been hit hard, with 60 workers being let go. Ascentria Care Alliance also announced that it would be letting workers go in 2025 due to a federal funding freeze.
Florida
Florida, which is home to more than 23 million people, is the largest state on this list. As Florida is a massive state with lots of different businesses, the current layoffs in the state encompass a variety of different industries. And despite its large size, Florida is experiencing a very large number of workforce reductions.
Theme parks have been hit hard in Florida in 2025, as Legoland is eliminating 200 jobs and attempting to outsource some of these workers’ responsibilities. There have also been some major cuts within the federal government, as cuts have been made to the TSA, the National Parks Service, and the Department of Energy.
Virginia
Virginia is a very large state, the 12th largest by population in the country, but it also has a thriving economy, which ranks 16th overall in the nation. But the Cavalier state has been having a rough go of it in 2025 with the 3rd worst layoff rate in the country.
The largest cuts in the state have occurred at the Department of Veterans Affairs. There have been significant cuts to the workforce from layoffs, but many workers have also left through resignations and retirements. U.S. Cellular also let go a large number of workers after the company was acquired by T-Mobile.
Vermont
Vermont is yet another New England state that is being stung by job cuts in 2025. The Green Mountain State is experiencing difficulties due to both federal cuts and Donald Trump’s looming tariff plan.
Orvis, a popular outdoor clothing retailer, says that it will be laying off workers due to the tariffs.
The Vermont Food Bank, which received extra funding during the COVID-19 pandemic, has to let go of 10% of its workers. And the city of Burlington announced that it would have to cut staff due to budget shortfalls.
New Jersey
Like Connecticut, New Jersey is another state that punches above its weight class economically despite its small size. But right now, New Jersey is leading the country in a negative statistic, as it has the highest layoff rate of any state in America.
Banking jobs in the state have been hit hard as J.P. Morgan Chase, TD Bank, Barclays, and Prudential Financial have all let workers go. Some other major companies in New Jersey that are laying off workers include Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Reckitt Benckiser and GEODIS Logistics.