The US labor market showed continued flux as employers recorded 269 WARN Act notices in December 2008, covering approximately 35,096 workers — marking a decline from November and up 156% versus December 2007. Filings came from 20 states and territories, with an average of 130 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 44 | 6,201 |
| Ohio | 25 | 3,825 |
| Texas | 41 | 3,739 |
| Michigan | 20 | 3,009 |
| Florida | 22 | 2,786 |
| Missouri | 9 | 2,178 |
| Georgia | 16 | 2,169 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 2,046 |
| Indiana | 17 | 1,738 |
| Alabama | 5 | 1,212 |
| Oklahoma | 12 | 1,042 |
| Kansas | 8 | 1,028 |
| Arizona | 3 | 941 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 924 |
| Kentucky | 11 | 924 |
| Delaware | 2 | 401 |
| Washington | 4 | 347 |
| Maryland | 4 | 341 |
| Washington DC | 3 | 175 |
| Iowa | 3 | 70 |
New York led the nation with 6,201 workers affected across 44 notices , followed by Ohio (3,825 workers) and Texas (3,739 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 44 | 4,599 |
| Other | 26 | 2,598 |
| Finance & Insurance | 8 | 2,585 |
| Information & Technology | 16 | 1,558 |
| Transportation | 10 | 999 |
| Retail | 7 | 649 |
| Healthcare | 5 | 643 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 293 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2 | 191 |
| Utilities | 2 | 138 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 4,599 workers across 44 notices. At the same time, Other reported 2,598 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 71 | 9,463 |
| Layoff | 65 | 8,758 |
Closures accounted for 27% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citigroup Inc. and its NY Subsidiaries | New York, New York | 1,004 | Layoff |
| ABX Air, Inc | Wilmington, Ohio | 838 | |
| Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC | New York, New York | 759 | Layoff |
| DHL Information System (Americas), Inc | Scottsdale, Arizona | 750 | |
| Gildan | Fort Payne, Alabama | 738 | Closure |
| Anheuser-Busch InBev | St. Louis, Missouri | 658 | Layoff |
| Convergys, Inc. - Houston | Houston, Texas | 653 | |
| Convergy's, Inc. - Houston | Houston, Texas | 653 | |
| Morgan Stanley | New York, New York | 590 | Layoff |
| Cessna | Wichita, Kansas | 520 |
Leading the list was Citigroup Inc. and its NY Subsidiaries in New York, New York, reporting 1,004 affected workers. ABX Air, Inc followed with 838 workers.
The filings reflect 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 December 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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