The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 226 WARN Act notices in October 2008, displacing an estimated 37,276 workers — signaling an acceleration from September and up 94% versus October 2007. Filings came from 21 states and territories, with an average of 165 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 22 | 6,014 |
| Ohio | 19 | 4,073 |
| New York | 19 | 3,412 |
| Georgia | 20 | 2,886 |
| Florida | 22 | 2,538 |
| New Jersey | 12 | 2,481 |
| Texas | 22 | 2,452 |
| Alabama | 3 | 2,089 |
| Pennsylvania | 14 | 1,562 |
| Delaware | 4 | 1,520 |
| Kentucky | 14 | 1,414 |
| Washington | 7 | 1,336 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 1,222 |
| Washington DC | 8 | 1,159 |
| Indiana | 9 | 1,079 |
| Missouri | 6 | 965 |
| Arizona | 10 | 600 |
| Kansas | 6 | 206 |
| Iowa | 3 | 128 |
| Vermont | 1 | 82 |
| Maryland | 1 | 58 |
Michigan led the nation with 6,014 workers affected across 22 notices , followed by Ohio (4,073 workers) and New York (3,412 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 25 | 5,092 |
| Healthcare | 6 | 2,194 |
| Other | 18 | 1,983 |
| Finance & Insurance | 13 | 1,395 |
| Accommodation & Food | 8 | 1,382 |
| Information & Technology | 6 | 1,293 |
| Transportation | 9 | 1,190 |
| Agriculture | 2 | 654 |
| Construction | 2 | 241 |
| Retail | 3 | 220 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 5,092 workers across 25 notices. Notably, Healthcare reported 2,194 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 64 | 12,199 |
| Layoff | 45 | 7,017 |
Closures accounted for 33% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| GM Grand Rapids Metal Center | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 1,500 | Closure |
| Chrysler Corporation | Auburn Hills, Michigan | 1,500 | Layoff |
| General Motors - Moraine Assembly Plant | Moraine, Ohio | 1,166 | |
| Wyeth Pharmaceuticals | Rouses Point, New York | 1,150 | Closure |
| Chrysler Corporation | Newark, Delaware | 1,125 | |
| Physician’S Medical Center | Birmingham, Alabama | 1,000 | Closure |
| Physician'S Medical Center | Birmingham, Alabama | 1,000 | Closure |
| Chrysler, LLC | Toledo, Ohio | 819 | |
| Cadence Innovation | Chesterfield Towns, Michigan | 780 | Closure |
| Barclays Capital | Statewide, New Jersey | 710 |
The most significant filing came from GM Grand Rapids Metal Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, reporting 1,500 affected workers. Chrysler Corporation followed with 1,500 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 October 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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