US Layoffs — May 2008

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers logged 146 WARN Act notices in May 2008, involving roughly 14,917 workers — falling below April and up 25% versus May 2007. Filings came from 21 states and territories, with an average of 102 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

New York led the nation with 1,933 workers affected across 27 notices , followed by New Jersey (1,836 workers) and Ohio (1,562 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 4,713 workers across 47 notices. Meanwhile, Transportation reported 2,277 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 33% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The biggest impact was at Jevic Transportation in Delanco, New Jersey, reporting 1,036 affected workers. Merrill Lynch followed with 500 workers.

Trend & Outlook

This data points to a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in May 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.