The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 224 WARN Act notices in February 2011, impacting roughly 22,538 workers — representing a notable rise over January and up 32% versus February 2010. Filings came from 25 states and territories, with an average of 101 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 41 | 3,224 |
| California | 46 | 2,982 |
| Texas | 23 | 2,780 |
| Florida | 11 | 2,087 |
| New Jersey | 16 | 1,627 |
| Alabama | 6 | 1,525 |
| Georgia | 9 | 1,309 |
| Kentucky | 10 | 1,094 |
| Pennsylvania | 14 | 906 |
| Delaware | 2 | 803 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 526 |
| Virginia | 3 | 423 |
| Missouri | 4 | 413 |
| Iowa | 4 | 407 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 360 |
| Washington | 3 | 323 |
| Utah | 2 | 298 |
| Ohio | 3 | 263 |
| Oregon | 2 | 253 |
| Michigan | 4 | 237 |
| Indiana | 3 | 202 |
| Kansas | 6 | 175 |
| Maryland | 1 | 146 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 94 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 81 |
New York led the nation with 3,224 workers affected across 41 notices , followed by California (2,982 workers) and Texas (2,780 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 34 | 2,633 |
| Manufacturing | 19 | 1,660 |
| Other | 14 | 1,553 |
| Finance & Insurance | 6 | 1,204 |
| Information & Technology | 5 | 1,053 |
| Transportation | 3 | 830 |
| Admin & Support Services | 8 | 778 |
| Healthcare | 16 | 777 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3 | 595 |
| Professional Services | 3 | 314 |
The Retail sector led the way in workforce reductions with 2,633 workers across 34 notices. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 1,660 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 53 | 5,263 |
| Layoff | 33 | 3,247 |
Closures accounted for 23% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington Trust/M&T Bank | Buffalo, Delaware | 721 | |
| Blockbuster Inc. - McKinney Distribution Center | McKinney, Texas | 627 | |
| United Space Alliance | Titusville, Florida | 549 | |
| Schenck Company | Orlando, Florida | 528 | |
| Haband( Orchard Brands) | Athens, Georgia | 475 | |
| New Process Gear, Inc. (Division of Magna Powertrain) | East Syracuse, New York | 417 | Closure |
| Heartland Catfish | Itta Benna, Mississippi | 400 | Layoff |
| Beaulieu Group LLC | Eufaula, Alabama | 392 | Closure |
| Alabama Aircraft Industries, Inc | Birmingham, Alabama | 321 | Closure |
| Northrop Grumman Technical Services | Suffolk, Virginia | 293 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Wilmington Trust/M&T Bank in Buffalo, Delaware, reporting 721 affected workers. Blockbuster Inc. - McKinney Distribution Center followed with 627 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 Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in February 2011. 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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