The US labor market showed continued flux as employers recorded 216 WARN Act notices in August 2012, covering approximately 18,837 workers — marking a decline from July and down 3% versus August 2011. Filings came from 27 states and territories, with an average of 87 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 60 | 2,961 |
| Kentucky | 16 | 1,890 |
| Florida | 10 | 1,842 |
| Texas | 15 | 1,361 |
| Virginia | 11 | 1,347 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 945 |
| Tennessee | 10 | 896 |
| Washington | 3 | 867 |
| Michigan | 5 | 817 |
| New York | 16 | 742 |
| South Carolina | 9 | 672 |
| Mississippi | 5 | 663 |
| Ohio | 4 | 616 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 494 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 451 |
| Missouri | 5 | 421 |
| Maryland | 5 | 350 |
| Iowa | 5 | 330 |
| Georgia | 6 | 321 |
| Indiana | 2 | 242 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 180 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 143 |
| Alabama | 1 | 119 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 59 |
| Kansas | 4 | 50 |
| Arizona | 1 | 44 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 14 |
California led the nation with 2,961 workers affected across 60 notices , followed by Kentucky (1,890 workers) and Florida (1,842 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 17 | 2,193 |
| Manufacturing | 12 | 1,532 |
| Other | 18 | 1,512 |
| Finance & Insurance | 4 | 613 |
| Construction | 2 | 583 |
| Government | 7 | 531 |
| Information & Technology | 5 | 470 |
| Admin & Support Services | 3 | 436 |
| Retail | 4 | 412 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 2 | 373 |
The Healthcare sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 2,193 workers across 17 notices. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 1,532 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 48 | 4,834 |
| Layoff | 45 | 4,453 |
Closures accounted for 26% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn Regional Medical Center | Auburn, Washington | 827 | Layoff |
| PEMCO World Air Services | Tampa, Florida | 474 | |
| Kbr | DeKalb, Mississippi | 396 | Layoff |
| BankAtlantic/BB&T Corporation | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 365 | |
| 740 New Circle Road Lexington, Kentucky | Kentucky | 350 | Layoff |
| Lexmark International Inc | Kentucky | 350 | Layoff |
| Masterbrand Cabinets Inc | Martinsville, Virginia | 345 | Closure |
| Masterbrand Cabinets, Inc | Martinsville, Virginia | 345 | Closure |
| Hyatt Regency | Dearborn, Michigan | 322 | Closure |
| Gaylord Entertainment | Nashville, Tennessee | 310 | Closure |
Leading the list was Auburn Regional Medical Center in Auburn, Washington, reporting 827 affected workers. PEMCO World Air Services followed with 474 workers.
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The filings reflect a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Healthcare sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in August 2012. 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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