The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 188 WARN Act notices in December 2010, impacting roughly 22,933 workers — representing a notable rise over November and up 23% versus December 2009. Filings came from 24 states and territories, with an average of 122 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 78 | 7,432 |
| New York | 25 | 2,283 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 2,170 |
| Virginia | 5 | 1,508 |
| Florida | 8 | 1,488 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 1,444 |
| Ohio | 6 | 1,245 |
| Texas | 5 | 763 |
| Indiana | 1 | 725 |
| Washington DC | 2 | 650 |
| Kansas | 10 | 483 |
| Washington | 2 | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | 8 | 361 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 306 |
| Georgia | 4 | 277 |
| Alabama | 2 | 272 |
| Arizona | 6 | 240 |
| Maryland | 3 | 214 |
| Oregon | 2 | 163 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 124 |
| Iowa | 1 | 120 |
| Michigan | 1 | 100 |
| Missouri | 1 | 65 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 50 |
California led the nation with 7,432 workers affected across 78 notices , followed by New York (2,283 workers) and Kentucky (2,170 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 16 | 2,979 |
| Finance & Insurance | 13 | 1,898 |
| Accommodation & Food | 6 | 1,544 |
| Transportation | 2 | 1,384 |
| Healthcare | 12 | 1,020 |
| Manufacturing | 17 | 906 |
| Information & Technology | 7 | 783 |
| Retail | 5 | 779 |
| Real Estate | 4 | 632 |
| Professional Services | 3 | 303 |
The Other sector led the way in workforce reductions with 2,979 workers across 16 notices. In a parallel development, Finance & Insurance reported 1,898 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 35 | 5,604 |
| Layoff | 33 | 3,511 |
Closures accounted for 24% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodbridge Logistics LLC | Avenel, New Jersey | 1,114 | |
| New York City Off Track Betting Corporation (Various wagering sites in NYC) | New York, New York | 1,034 | Closure |
| Del Mar Thoroughbred Club | Del Mar, California | 935 | |
| Hmshost | Los Angeles, California | 895 | |
| San Diego Marriott Hotel And Marina | San Diego, California | 802 | |
| AJWright | South Bend, Indiana | 725 | Closure |
| Masco Retail Cabinet Group | Waverly, Ohio | 634 | |
| 7138 Black Sheep Run Ft. Campbell, KY 42223 | Kentucky | 486 | Layoff |
| CSC Applied Technology Group | Kentucky | 486 | Layoff |
| West Marine Products, Inc | Watsonville, California | 420 |
The single largest action involved Woodbridge Logistics LLC in Avenel, New Jersey, reporting 1,114 affected workers. New York City Off Track Betting Corporation (Various wagering sites in NYC) followed with 1,034 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Other sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in December 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.
Get weekly layoff reports in your inbox
Free weekly digest of WARN Act filings and analysis.
