The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 324 WARN Act notices in August 2009, covering approximately 28,869 workers — marking a sharp increase from July and up 62% versus August 2008. Filings came from 26 states and territories, with an average of 89 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 98 | 6,838 |
| Florida | 16 | 2,694 |
| Alabama | 10 | 2,365 |
| New York | 31 | 2,030 |
| Oklahoma | 6 | 1,658 |
| Texas | 17 | 1,337 |
| Michigan | 15 | 1,299 |
| Georgia | 13 | 1,256 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 1,105 |
| New Jersey | 9 | 945 |
| Ohio | 11 | 924 |
| Utah | 4 | 902 |
| Arizona | 13 | 732 |
| Kentucky | 12 | 710 |
| Kansas | 16 | 680 |
| Missouri | 9 | 611 |
| Washington | 5 | 585 |
| Maryland | 4 | 428 |
| Idaho | 6 | 410 |
| Iowa | 7 | 410 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 323 |
| Washington DC | 7 | 240 |
| Indiana | 3 | 196 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 83 |
| Delaware | 2 | 66 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 42 |
California led the nation with 6,838 workers affected across 98 notices , followed by Florida (2,694 workers) and Alabama (2,365 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 25 | 4,537 |
| Healthcare | 8 | 1,611 |
| Other | 20 | 1,346 |
| Finance & Insurance | 14 | 1,272 |
| Retail | 24 | 1,036 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 1,021 |
| Information & Technology | 18 | 913 |
| Agriculture | 3 | 869 |
| Transportation | 7 | 605 |
| Construction | 2 | 459 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 4,537 workers across 25 notices. At the same time, Healthcare reported 1,611 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 54 | 5,771 |
| Layoff | 60 | 3,431 |
Closures accounted for 20% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continental Automotive Systems US, Inc | Huntsville, Alabama | 1,281 | Closure |
| Crossmark Home Improvement Services | Plano, Louisiana | 1,021 | |
| Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp | Ocala, Florida | 964 | |
| Whitman Packaging Corporation (affiliate of the Estee Lauder Companies Inc.) | Yaphank, New York | 800 | Closure |
| Farmers Group, Inc. ("Farmers") | Woodland Hills, California | 752 | |
| Nec Electronics America, Inc | Roseville, California | 750 | |
| Kindred Rehab Services | Louisville, Florida | 573 | |
| Samsung | Austin, Texas | 550 | |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation Information Systems | San Jose, California | 496 | |
| Gerdau Ameristeel | Sand Springs, Oklahoma | 396 |
Leading the list was Continental Automotive Systems US, Inc in Huntsville, Alabama, reporting 1,281 affected workers. Crossmark Home Improvement Services followed with 1,021 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect 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 August 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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