The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 207 WARN Act notices in August 2010, displacing an estimated 23,751 workers — signaling an acceleration from July and down 18% versus August 2009. Filings came from 25 states and territories, with an average of 115 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 2 | 4,798 |
| California | 64 | 3,109 |
| New York | 20 | 2,235 |
| Texas | 19 | 1,767 |
| New Jersey | 14 | 1,412 |
| Ohio | 8 | 1,385 |
| Mississippi | 12 | 1,221 |
| Virginia | 6 | 960 |
| Maryland | 5 | 914 |
| Alabama | 4 | 846 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 836 |
| Arizona | 4 | 818 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 688 |
| Indiana | 3 | 613 |
| Michigan | 4 | 564 |
| Florida | 11 | 502 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | 262 |
| Georgia | 2 | 203 |
| Washington | 2 | 121 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 113 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 108 |
| Iowa | 1 | 103 |
| Missouri | 1 | 79 |
| Utah | 2 | 62 |
| Kansas | 4 | 32 |
Louisiana led the nation with 4,798 workers affected across 2 notices , followed by California (3,109 workers) and New York (2,235 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 3 | 5,298 |
| Other | 12 | 1,431 |
| Manufacturing | 15 | 1,266 |
| Healthcare | 14 | 1,152 |
| Retail | 10 | 757 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 421 |
| Information & Technology | 5 | 377 |
| Transportation | 3 | 332 |
| Utilities | 1 | 330 |
| Agriculture | 3 | 286 |
The Construction sector topped the list of affected industries with 5,298 workers across 3 notices. Notably, Other reported 1,431 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 39 | 5,103 |
| Layoff | 32 | 3,276 |
Closures accounted for 21% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman | Avondale, Louisiana | 4,703 | |
| Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc | Yuma, Arizona | 652 | |
| Iap World Services, Inc | Livermore, California | 622 | |
| Aramark @ Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Maryland | 613 | Closure |
| Columbia University Affiliation at Harlem Hospital Center | New York, New York | 593 | Closure |
| Signal International | Orange, Texas | 580 | |
| Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Center or MJGC | Brooklyn, New York | 506 | Closure |
| Eli Lilly and Company | Indianapolis, Indiana | 500 | Layoff |
| Northrop Grumman | Pascagoula, Mississippi | 500 | Layoff |
| Quad Graphics | Corinth, Mississippi | 400 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Northrop Grumman in Avondale, Louisiana, reporting 4,703 affected workers. Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc followed with 652 workers.
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Construction sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in August 2010. 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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