US Layoffs — January 2013

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 238 WARN Act notices in January 2013, putting at risk an estimated 26,872 workers — up substantially from December and up 10% versus January 2012. Filings came from 29 states and territories, with an average of 113 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 4,579 workers affected across 76 notices , followed by Texas (4,525 workers) and New Jersey (2,623 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 10,306 workers across 87 notices. Separately, Accommodation & Food reported 2,591 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 28% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

Topping the list was Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation-Plainview in Plainview, Texas, reporting 2,211 affected workers. The Atlantaic Club Casino followed with 1,729 workers.

Trend & Outlook

After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.

These figures highlight mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in January 2013. 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.