US Layoffs — July 2008
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 223 WARN Act notices in July 2008, affecting an estimated 31,413 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to June and up 118% versus July 2007. Filings came from 20 states and territories, with an average of 141 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 12 | 4,721 |
| New York | 18 | 4,476 |
| Texas | 63 | 3,775 |
| Florida | 23 | 2,913 |
| Indiana | 5 | 2,130 |
| New Jersey | 13 | 1,949 |
| Ohio | 11 | 1,845 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 1,822 |
| Washington | 9 | 1,478 |
| Illinois | 10 | 1,381 |
| Michigan | 9 | 1,332 |
| Georgia | 13 | 1,309 |
| Louisiana | 8 | 786 |
| Pennsylvania | 7 | 562 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 365 |
| Arizona | 4 | 270 |
| Iowa | 2 | 116 |
| Maryland | 3 | 114 |
| Alabama | 1 | 69 |
| Kansas | 2 | 0 |
Missouri led the nation with 4,721 workers affected across 12 notices , followed by New York (4,476 workers) and Texas (3,775 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 48 | 10,740 |
| Retail | 57 | 4,348 |
| Transportation | 42 | 3,980 |
| Accommodation & Food | 8 | 2,958 |
| Information & Technology | 24 | 1,797 |
| Healthcare | 9 | 1,684 |
| Government | 1 | 1,430 |
| Wholesale Trade | 4 | 1,098 |
| Finance & Insurance | 12 | 850 |
| Professional Services | 9 | 814 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 10,740 workers across 48 notices. On a related front, Retail reported 4,348 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 52 | 9,484 |
| Closure | 28 | 5,916 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 51 |
Closures accounted for 19% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume Services, Inc. d/b/a Centerplate's | Bronx, New York | 1,861 | Closure |
| Chrysler (North Plant) | Fenton, Missouri | 1,816 | Layoff |
| Monaco Coach | Elkhart, Indiana | 1,430 | |
| Chrysler St. Louis South Assembly Plant | Fenton, Missouri | 1,400 | Layoff |
| Sterling Mets L.P. (Sterling) Shea Stadium | Flushing, New York | 1,050 | Closure |
| General Motors - Moraine Assembly Plant | Moraine, Ohio | 1,010 | |
| Correctional Medical | Newark, New Jersey | 949 | |
| Columbia Distributing | Vancouver, Washington | 933 | Layoff |
| Ford Motor Co. (Dearborn Truck) | Dearborn, Michigan | 828 | Layoff |
| Ford Motor Company Louisville Assembly Plant | Louisville, Kentucky | 756 |
The largest notice was filed by Volume Services, Inc. d/b/a Centerplate's in Bronx, New York, reporting 1,861 affected workers. Chrysler (North Plant) followed with 1,816 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The trends suggest 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 July 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.