The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 400 WARN Act notices in April 2009, impacting roughly 34,306 workers — representing a pullback from March and up 53% versus April 2008. Filings came from 24 states and territories, with an average of 86 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 140 | 8,181 |
| New York | 38 | 3,001 |
| Florida | 19 | 2,855 |
| Ohio | 15 | 2,851 |
| Georgia | 17 | 2,513 |
| Kansas | 20 | 1,939 |
| Kentucky | 12 | 1,838 |
| Texas | 37 | 1,686 |
| Michigan | 13 | 1,470 |
| Indiana | 11 | 1,438 |
| Missouri | 7 | 1,015 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 838 |
| Arizona | 5 | 828 |
| Washington | 8 | 752 |
| Alabama | 7 | 718 |
| Maryland | 9 | 602 |
| Louisiana | 6 | 568 |
| Rhode Island | 4 | 326 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 326 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 234 |
| Iowa | 3 | 223 |
| Washington DC | 10 | 61 |
| Vermont | 1 | 42 |
| Delaware | 1 | 1 |
California led the nation with 8,181 workers affected across 140 notices , followed by New York (3,001 workers) and Florida (2,855 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 48 | 4,522 |
| Other | 33 | 3,267 |
| Transportation | 7 | 1,545 |
| Finance & Insurance | 19 | 1,393 |
| Healthcare | 5 | 1,200 |
| Information & Technology | 17 | 830 |
| Accommodation & Food | 5 | 626 |
| Retail | 7 | 352 |
| Construction | 2 | 346 |
| Wholesale Trade | 6 | 203 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 4,522 workers across 48 notices. In a parallel development, Other reported 3,267 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 61 | 7,390 |
| Layoff | 80 | 4,721 |
Closures accounted for 22% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna | Wichita, Kansas | 1,300 | |
| Smithfield Packing | Plant City, Florida | 720 | |
| First Student | Jacksonville, Florida | 660 | |
| Trinity North American Freight Car, Inc | Cartersvile, Georgia | 659 | |
| Watson Laboratories, Inc | Hopewell Junction, New York | 622 | Closure |
| ABX Air, Inc | Wilmington, Ohio | 518 | |
| Community Hospital Of Los Gatos | Los Gatos, California | 500 | |
| Fleetwood | Decatur, Indiana | 443 | Closure |
| Noble International | Warren, Michigan | 400 | Closure |
| Aramark | Cleveland, Ohio | 397 |
The single largest action involved Cessna in Wichita, Kansas, reporting 1,300 affected workers. Smithfield Packing followed with 720 workers.
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The data underscores 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 April 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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