US Layoffs — October 2006
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 124 WARN Act notices in October 2006, impacting roughly 21,106 workers — representing a notable rise over September and up 114% versus October 2005. Filings came from 16 states and territories, with an average of 170 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 14 | 6,134 |
| Illinois | 24 | 5,030 |
| Texas | 13 | 1,507 |
| Alabama | 6 | 1,251 |
| New Jersey | 9 | 1,124 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 1,101 |
| Michigan | 9 | 1,056 |
| New York | 8 | 919 |
| Florida | 7 | 766 |
| Washington | 6 | 577 |
| Iowa | 5 | 531 |
| Georgia | 5 | 359 |
| Missouri | 2 | 277 |
| Maryland | 4 | 274 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 200 |
| Kansas | 2 | 0 |
Ohio led the nation with 6,134 workers affected across 14 notices , followed by Illinois (5,030 workers) and Texas (1,507 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 25 | 7,707 |
| Manufacturing | 54 | 6,444 |
| Professional Services | 10 | 1,588 |
| Utilities | 3 | 1,477 |
| Information & Technology | 7 | 1,180 |
| Transportation | 5 | 718 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 493 |
| Finance & Insurance | 5 | 430 |
| Accommodation & Food | 3 | 345 |
| Real Estate | 3 | 270 |
The Retail sector led the way in workforce reductions with 7,707 workers across 25 notices. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 6,444 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 54 | 8,564 |
| Layoff | 22 | 2,652 |
Closures accounted for 41% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tops Markets | Maple Heights, Ohio | 4,133 | |
| Ameren | Peoria, Illinois | 1,324 | Closure |
| K's Merchandise | Decatur, Illinois | 935 | Closure |
| Drummond | Adger, Alabama | 475 | Layoff |
| Plastech | Bryan, Ohio | 392 | |
| Unicco Service | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 364 | |
| Altana Pharma US | Florham Park, New Jersey | 350 | |
| Royal Window Coverings (USA) L.P | Houston, Texas | 307 | |
| Bechtel Plant Machinery | Schenectady, New York | 300 | Closure |
| Supervalu Holdings | Melrose Park, Illinois | 295 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Tops Markets in Maple Heights, Ohio, reporting 4,133 affected workers. Ameren followed with 1,324 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in October 2006. 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, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.