The US labor market showed continued flux as employers posted 131 WARN Act notices in May 2001, affecting an estimated 21,233 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to April and up 174% versus May 2000. Filings came from 11 states and territories, with an average of 162 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 12 | 4,766 |
| Ohio | 25 | 3,440 |
| Texas | 28 | 2,724 |
| Pennsylvania | 19 | 2,407 |
| Georgia | 9 | 1,930 |
| Michigan | 12 | 1,802 |
| Florida | 11 | 1,585 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 1,400 |
| Alabama | 8 | 966 |
| Kansas | 4 | 146 |
| Maryland | 1 | 67 |
Kentucky led the nation with 4,766 workers affected across 12 notices , followed by Ohio (3,440 workers) and Texas (2,724 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 11 | 3,207 |
| Manufacturing | 14 | 2,234 |
| Utilities | 2 | 775 |
| Other | 3 | 567 |
| Transportation | 6 | 562 |
| Retail | 3 | 480 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 276 |
| Accommodation & Food | 2 | 161 |
| Government | 1 | 134 |
| Education | 1 | 96 |
The Information & Technology sector saw the heaviest impact with 3,207 workers across 11 notices. On a related front, Manufacturing reported 2,234 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 26 | 6,373 |
| Closure | 28 | 3,635 |
Closures accounted for 17% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comair, Inc | Kentucky | 1,662 | Layoff |
| Comair, Inc | Kentucky | 1,662 | Layoff |
| American Electric Power | Athens, Ohio | 710 | |
| Seagate Technology | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 700 | |
| Seagate Technology | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 700 | |
| Motorola Order Fulfillment Ctr | Suwanee, Georgia | 625 | |
| Tower Automotive | Sebewaing, Michigan | 509 | Closure |
| Sappi Ltd | Mobile, Alabama | 500 | Closure |
| Lucent Technologies | Columbus, Ohio | 400 | |
| Agere Systems | Breinigsville, Pennsylvania | 390 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by Comair, Inc in Kentucky, reporting 1,662 affected workers. Comair, Inc followed with 1,662 workers.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Information & Technology sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in May 2001. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is sourced from official state filings and updated daily by WARN Firehose. Download the full dataset or explore state-by-state data.
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