The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 239 WARN Act notices in October 2011, displacing an estimated 20,781 workers — signaling an acceleration from September and down 15% versus October 2010. Filings came from 29 states and territories, with an average of 87 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 62 | 4,757 |
| New York | 28 | 1,636 |
| Pennsylvania | 17 | 1,495 |
| Florida | 11 | 1,390 |
| Washington | 6 | 1,275 |
| Virginia | 12 | 1,131 |
| Indiana | 12 | 1,114 |
| Ohio | 6 | 1,024 |
| Georgia | 7 | 977 |
| Michigan | 7 | 957 |
| Texas | 16 | 868 |
| Idaho | 2 | 500 |
| New Jersey | 8 | 484 |
| Utah | 4 | 428 |
| Missouri | 3 | 345 |
| Kansas | 11 | 332 |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 277 |
| Arizona | 3 | 274 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 270 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 264 |
| Alabama | 2 | 244 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 136 |
| Oregon | 1 | 120 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 119 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 112 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 103 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 84 |
| Maryland | 1 | 60 |
| Iowa | 1 | 5 |
California led the nation with 4,757 workers affected across 62 notices , followed by New York (1,636 workers) and Pennsylvania (1,495 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 26 | 2,755 |
| Healthcare | 15 | 1,583 |
| Other | 16 | 1,208 |
| Transportation | 9 | 860 |
| Information & Technology | 7 | 774 |
| Wholesale Trade | 6 | 633 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 312 |
| Admin & Support Services | 2 | 281 |
| Finance & Insurance | 4 | 273 |
| Agriculture | 3 | 238 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 2,755 workers across 26 notices. Notably, Healthcare reported 1,583 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 57 | 5,754 |
| Layoff | 26 | 1,512 |
Closures accounted for 28% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberly-Clark Corporation | Everett, Washington | 760 | Closure |
| Hanjin International Corp. Dba The Wilshire Grand | Los Angeles, California | 470 | |
| Management & Training Corp. and MTC Medical (MTC) | Conneaut, Grafton, Ohio | 446 | |
| Mesaba Airlines | Romulus, Michigan | 427 | Closure |
| Ramtech Support Services, Inc. (Letterkenny Army Depot) | Chambersburg, Pennsylvania | 360 | |
| Tiburon Associates, Inc. (Letterkenny Army Depot) | Chambersburg, Pennsylvania | 344 | |
| Sierra Kings Health Care District | Reedley, California | 320 | |
| Randstad (Google,Inc.) | Mountain View, California | 314 | |
| CBA Insert Distribution System, Inc | Brooklyn, New York | 312 | Closure |
| The Sports Club Company | Los Angeles, California | 289 |
The most significant filing came from Kimberly-Clark Corporation in Everett, Washington, reporting 760 affected workers. Hanjin International Corp. Dba The Wilshire Grand followed with 470 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in October 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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