The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 186 WARN Act notices in April 2008, displacing an estimated 22,446 workers — signaling an acceleration from March and up 28% versus April 2007. Filings came from 18 states and territories, with an average of 121 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 21 | 4,390 |
| New Jersey | 12 | 2,577 |
| Ohio | 18 | 2,494 |
| Michigan | 11 | 2,238 |
| Texas | 57 | 2,208 |
| Georgia | 14 | 1,750 |
| Florida | 14 | 1,747 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 988 |
| Missouri | 4 | 834 |
| Arizona | 6 | 819 |
| Kansas | 2 | 500 |
| Alabama | 3 | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | 380 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 283 |
| Vermont | 1 | 270 |
| Maryland | 3 | 201 |
| Washington | 3 | 177 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 140 |
New York led the nation with 4,390 workers affected across 21 notices , followed by New Jersey (2,577 workers) and Ohio (2,494 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 20 | 3,350 |
| Healthcare | 7 | 2,684 |
| Other | 14 | 2,540 |
| Transportation | 8 | 1,201 |
| Information & Technology | 6 | 1,035 |
| Utilities | 3 | 624 |
| Finance & Insurance | 6 | 561 |
| Government | 1 | 441 |
| Education | 4 | 427 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 220 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 3,350 workers across 20 notices. Notably, Healthcare reported 2,684 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 38 | 6,256 |
| Layoff | 19 | 3,202 |
Closures accounted for 28% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| GM Pontiac Assembly Center | Pontiac, Michigan | 1,212 | Layoff |
| New York City Off Track Betting Corporation | 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 | |
| Western Union | Bridgeton, Missouri | 681 | Layoff |
| Sprint | Overland Park, Kansas | 500 | |
| Selfhelp Community Services Inc | New York, New York | 482 | Closure |
| Siemens Energy and Automation, Inc | 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 Corporation followed with 1,111 workers.
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. Download the full dataset or explore state-by-state data.
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