US Layoffs — April 2008
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 195 WARN Act notices in April 2008, displacing an estimated 24,253 workers — signaling an acceleration from March and up 26% versus April 2007. Filings came from 19 states and territories, with an average of 124 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 24 | 4,503 |
| Illinois | 14 | 2,640 |
| New Jersey | 12 | 2,577 |
| Ohio | 18 | 2,494 |
| Michigan | 10 | 2,238 |
| Texas | 55 | 2,156 |
| Georgia | 14 | 1,750 |
| Florida | 14 | 1,747 |
| Missouri | 4 | 834 |
| Arizona | 6 | 819 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 494 |
| Alabama | 3 | 450 |
| Vermont | 2 | 440 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | 380 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 283 |
| Maryland | 3 | 201 |
| Washington | 3 | 177 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 70 |
| Kansas | 1 | 0 |
New York led the nation with 4,503 workers affected across 24 notices , followed by Illinois (2,640 workers) and New Jersey (2,577 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 58 | 8,227 |
| Healthcare | 12 | 4,111 |
| Transportation | 16 | 1,937 |
| Finance & Insurance | 15 | 1,818 |
| Government | 3 | 1,655 |
| Information & Technology | 50 | 1,315 |
| Wholesale Trade | 5 | 1,150 |
| Retail | 7 | 911 |
| Professional Services | 6 | 792 |
| Utilities | 3 | 624 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 8,227 workers across 58 notices. Notably, Healthcare reported 4,111 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 50 | 8,362 |
| Layoff | 20 | 3,455 |
Closures accounted for 34% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| GM Pontiac Assembly Center | Pontiac, Michigan | 1,212 | Layoff |
| New York City Off Track Betting | New York, New York | 1,111 | Closure |
| Columbus Hospital | Newark, New Jersey | 874 | |
| Victory Memorial Hospital | Brooklyn, New York | 801 | Closure |
| Muhlenberg Med. Ctr | Plainfield, New Jersey | 749 | |
| Glazer's Distributors of Illinois | Chicago, Illinois | 732 | Closure |
| Western Union | Bridgeton, Missouri | 681 | Layoff |
| Selfhelp Community Services | New York, New York | 482 | Closure |
| Siemens Energy and Automation | Bellefontaine, Ohio | 477 | |
| City Of Atlanta | Atlanta, Georgia | 441 |
The most significant filing came from GM Pontiac Assembly Center in Pontiac, Michigan, reporting 1,212 affected workers. New York City Off Track Betting followed with 1,111 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in April 2008. 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.