US Layoffs — April 2011

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers reported 218 WARN Act notices in April 2011, displacing an estimated 20,612 workers — signaling a deceleration from March and down 20% versus April 2010. Filings came from 24 states and territories, with an average of 95 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 4,458 workers affected across 64 notices , followed by New York (2,826 workers) and Pennsylvania (2,614 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 5,268 workers across 70 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 2,287 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 22% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The most significant filing came from Community General Hospital in Syracuse, New York, reporting 1,018 affected workers. New Jersey Sports and Entertainment Authority followed with 900 workers.

Trend & Outlook

This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.

The numbers illustrate a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in April 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, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.