The US labor market showed continued flux as employers logged 152 WARN Act notices in May 2008, involving roughly 16,019 workers — falling below April and up 21% versus May 2007. Filings came from 20 states and territories, with an average of 105 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 29 | 2,085 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 1,868 |
| New Jersey | 10 | 1,836 |
| Ohio | 14 | 1,562 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 1,416 |
| Florida | 16 | 1,372 |
| Michigan | 4 | 891 |
| Georgia | 9 | 792 |
| Missouri | 6 | 773 |
| Louisiana | 4 | 551 |
| Arizona | 5 | 537 |
| Texas | 12 | 465 |
| Alabama | 2 | 457 |
| Kansas | 8 | 411 |
| Maryland | 4 | 387 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 236 |
| Washington | 3 | 198 |
| Iowa | 1 | 88 |
| Vermont | 1 | 76 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 18 |
New York led the nation with 2,085 workers affected across 29 notices , followed by Kentucky (1,868 workers) and New Jersey (1,836 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 18 | 2,179 |
| Other | 10 | 1,556 |
| Finance & Insurance | 11 | 1,500 |
| Information & Technology | 6 | 1,164 |
| Transportation | 5 | 819 |
| Education | 14 | 474 |
| Healthcare | 4 | 342 |
| Wholesale Trade | 4 | 312 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 245 |
| Retail | 5 | 199 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 2,179 workers across 18 notices. Meanwhile, Other reported 1,556 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 30 | 4,261 |
| Closure | 42 | 3,902 |
Closures accounted for 24% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jevic Transportation | Delanco/Piscataway, New Jersey | 1,036 | |
| Ford Motor Company Louisville Assembly Plant | Kentucky | 756 | Layoff |
| Ford Motor Company Louisville Assembly Plant | Kentucky | 756 | Layoff |
| Merrill Lynch | New York, New York | 500 | Layoff |
| Shaw Industries | Stevenson, Alabama | 418 | Closure |
| Plastech Engineered Products, Inc | Byesville, Ohio | 416 | |
| Visteon Corporation | Monroe, Michigan | 351 | Closure |
| Plastech Engineered Products, Inc | Romulus, Michigan | 312 | Closure |
| First Student | Milton, Florida | 277 | |
| Chase Home Lending | Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania | 266 | Layoff |
The biggest impact was at Jevic Transportation in Delanco/Piscataway, New Jersey, reporting 1,036 affected workers. Ford Motor Company Louisville Assembly Plant followed with 756 workers.
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. Download the full dataset or explore state-by-state data.
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