The US labor market showed continued flux as employers posted 707 WARN Act notices in March 2009, affecting an estimated 55,357 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to February and up 203% versus March 2008. Filings came from 24 states and territories, with an average of 78 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 229 | 12,777 |
| Ohio | 32 | 5,703 |
| New York | 70 | 5,174 |
| Texas | 71 | 4,066 |
| Alabama | 57 | 3,883 |
| Indiana | 23 | 3,166 |
| Florida | 35 | 2,966 |
| Oklahoma | 12 | 2,360 |
| Michigan | 19 | 2,133 |
| New Jersey | 16 | 1,942 |
| Georgia | 17 | 1,888 |
| Pennsylvania | 21 | 1,648 |
| Maryland | 15 | 1,094 |
| Louisiana | 9 | 1,035 |
| Kentucky | 12 | 908 |
| Washington | 6 | 898 |
| Rhode Island | 9 | 851 |
| Kansas | 16 | 805 |
| Iowa | 8 | 567 |
| Missouri | 4 | 396 |
| Arizona | 4 | 376 |
| Utah | 6 | 332 |
| Idaho | 8 | 222 |
| Delaware | 8 | 167 |
California led the nation with 12,777 workers affected across 229 notices , followed by Ohio (5,703 workers) and New York (5,174 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 83 | 6,585 |
| Other | 75 | 5,546 |
| Manufacturing | 69 | 5,536 |
| Finance & Insurance | 41 | 3,037 |
| Healthcare | 18 | 2,063 |
| Information & Technology | 22 | 1,681 |
| Transportation | 23 | 1,536 |
| Accommodation & Food | 6 | 1,182 |
| Education | 6 | 738 |
| Utilities | 15 | 633 |
The Retail sector saw the heaviest impact with 6,585 workers across 83 notices. On a related front, Other reported 5,546 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 141 | 12,450 |
| Layoff | 108 | 8,183 |
Closures accounted for 22% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ArcelorMittal | Cleveland, Ohio | 1,240 | |
| Boeing | Puget Sound, Washington | 710 | Layoff |
| Jpmorgan Chase Bank (Jpmorgan Chase & Co.) | Pleasanton, California | 654 | |
| Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Optical Lab | Lockbourne, Ohio | 646 | |
| Tyson Foods, Inc | Ponca City, Oklahoma | 606 | |
| Tyson Foods, Inc | Ponca City, Oklahoma | 606 | |
| Technicolor Video Services of Michigan | Detroit, Michigan | 563 | Layoff |
| Monaco Coach Corporation | Wakarusa, Milford, Warsaw, Indiana | 515 | Closure |
| Amsterdam Memorial Hospital | Amsterdam, New York | 495 | Closure |
| American Steamship Company | Williamsville, New York | 493 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by ArcelorMittal in Cleveland, Ohio, reporting 1,240 affected workers. Boeing followed with 710 workers.
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in March 2009. 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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