# A layoff tracker that reads filings, not screenshots

> Name the employers, add the pages where cuts get published, and get a short summary with the source when one of them changes.

URL: https://claudegpt.si/news/layoff-tracker-filings-not-screenshots  
Published: 2026-11-03T16:07:46.477Z  
Author: ClaudeGPT Si Newsroom  
Section: Guides  
Topics: Layoffs, WARN Act, SEC filings  
Publisher: ClaudeGPT Si

## Key takeaways

- Real layoffs show up in SEC 8-K filings under Item 2.05, in state WARN notices and on company newsrooms, not in unsourced screenshots.
- AyeWatch watches those pages for the employers you name and sends a short summary with the source link when a cut appears.
- Layoffs.fyi remains the place for the tech-wide history; AyeWatch is the alert for your own list of companies.

A layoff tracker should tell you when a company you care about files or announces job cuts, and hand you the document that proves it. AyeWatch does exactly that: you name the employers, add the pages where cuts get published, and it sends a short summary with the source link when one of them changes.

## What a layoff tracker should watch

Job cuts leave a paper trail in three places.

| Where | Who publishes there | What it tells you |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SEC Form 8-K, Item 2.05 | US public companies | The company committed to an exit or restructuring plan with material costs, which can include terminating staff |
| State WARN notices | Employers above the size limits, public or private | The employer, the site and the planned date of a mass layoff or closing |
| Company newsroom or blog | Any company | The company's own wording, often "restructuring" or "reorganization" |

A screenshot on social media is not on the list. Until a filing or an announcement backs it up, it is a rumor.

## The rules behind those documents

Under the federal WARN Act, employers with 100 or more employees, not counting part-timers, must give at least 60 days' notice before a plant closing or a mass layoff. Some states set a lower bar: California's version applies to employers with 75 or more employees. Plenty of cuts fall under these lines, so a missing WARN notice does not prove nothing happened.

For public companies, most 8-K reports are due within four business days of the event. Item 2.05 is the item for exit and disposal plans. Item 5.02, which some guides list next to it, covers directors and senior officers leaving, so read it as a leadership signal rather than a layoff filing.

## Set up the tracker in AyeWatch

1. **Name the employers.** Your employer, your clients, your holdings or the companies you are interviewing with. A short list works better than "every company in tech".
2. **Add the sources.** Paste each company's newsroom or investor relations page, plus the WARN page for each state where it has staff. California's EDD posts a [WARN report](https://edd.ca.gov/en/jobs_and_training/Layoff_Services_WARN/) as a spreadsheet, and New York keeps a [WARN dashboard](https://dol.ny.gov/warn-dashboard) you can filter by county and industry. AyeWatch can also follow SEC filings, 8-Ks included.
3. **Write the rule in plain English.** For example: "Tell me when any of these companies files an 8-K about a restructuring, shows up in a WARN notice, or announces job cuts on its own site. Skip posts that cite no source and roundups of old layoffs."
4. **Choose how you hear about it.** Push and the in-app feed come with every plan. Email, Slack, Discord, webhooks and the API come with paid plans.

When an update arrives, open its source first. A filing or a notice means a real event. A link to a thread means the rule needs tightening. Our guide to [SEC filing monitoring](https://ayewatch.ai/blog/sec-filing-monitoring) covers the filing side in more detail.

## Where Layoffs.fyi fits

[Layoffs.fyi](https://layoffs.fyi) is the best-known public list of tech layoffs. It has tracked them since March 2020, adds only cuts that were reported by the media, announced by the company or otherwise verified, and links a source for each entry. Go there for the industry picture, the history, or a number to quote.

Its updates come as the list itself and a monthly newsletter. If you want a ping the moment one particular employer files, in tech or anywhere else, that is the job AyeWatch is built for. The two sit well side by side: Layoffs.fyi for the overview, AyeWatch for your own names.

## What AyeWatch will not do

It does not keep a layoff database of its own or count heads. If a filing gives no number, the update will not make one up. It tells you that a named company posted a filing, a notice or an announcement, and links to it.

## What it costs

There is a free preview, and paid plans start at $9 a month, billed in monitoring credits. [Start a monitor](https://ayewatch.ai/?signup=true) with one company you already follow and check what the first update cites.

This is general information, not legal or investment advice.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does AyeWatch have its own layoff database?

No. It watches public filings, WARN pages and company sites for the employers you list and links the source in each update. It does not count heads or keep its own records.

### Which 8-K item covers layoffs?

Item 2.05, Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities, covers restructuring plans with material costs, including staff terminations. Item 5.02 covers directors and officers leaving.

### How much does a layoff tracker in AyeWatch cost?

You can try it on the free preview. Paid plans start at $9 a month and are billed in monitoring credits.

## Sources

- [Layoff tracker](https://ayewatch.ai/blog/layoff-tracker), AyeWatch
- [AyeWatch pricing](https://ayewatch.ai/pricing), AyeWatch
- [AyeWatch for investors](https://ayewatch.ai/for/investors), AyeWatch
- [Form 8-K and general instructions](https://www.sec.gov/files/form8-k.pdf), US Securities and Exchange Commission
- [20 CFR Part 639, Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-20/chapter-V/part-639), eCFR
- [Layoff services and WARN](https://edd.ca.gov/en/jobs_and_training/Layoff_Services_WARN/), California Employment Development Department
- [WARN dashboard](https://dol.ny.gov/warn-dashboard), New York State Department of Labor
- [Layoffs.fyi press and methodology](https://layoffs.fyi/press/), Layoffs.fyi