The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 241 WARN Act notices in September 2013, involving roughly 25,424 workers — climbing above August and down 13% versus September 2012. Filings came from 28 states and territories, with an average of 105 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 68 | 4,210 |
| Texas | 32 | 2,677 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 2,260 |
| Indiana | 12 | 2,227 |
| New York | 21 | 1,549 |
| North Carolina | 9 | 1,420 |
| Arizona | 5 | 1,306 |
| Alabama | 3 | 1,213 |
| Virginia | 12 | 961 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 832 |
| Florida | 8 | 674 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 666 |
| Washington | 5 | 647 |
| Ohio | 6 | 641 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 586 |
| Michigan | 2 | 476 |
| Kansas | 8 | 421 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 398 |
| Georgia | 8 | 340 |
| Missouri | 4 | 316 |
| Idaho | 2 | 312 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 282 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 279 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 250 |
| Oregon | 2 | 229 |
| Maryland | 1 | 173 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 75 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 4 |
California led the nation with 4,210 workers affected across 68 notices , followed by Texas (2,677 workers) and Mississippi (2,260 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 12 | 3,739 |
| Other | 15 | 1,855 |
| Utilities | 6 | 879 |
| Healthcare | 11 | 844 |
| Education | 5 | 819 |
| Agriculture | 4 | 696 |
| Accommodation & Food | 7 | 643 |
| Finance & Insurance | 10 | 607 |
| Admin & Support Services | 5 | 513 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 506 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 3,739 workers across 12 notices. Meanwhile, Other reported 1,855 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 38 | 5,686 |
| Closure | 43 | 5,447 |
Closures accounted for 21% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furniture Brands International | Tupelo, Mississippi | 1,451 | Layoff |
| International Paper-Courtland Mill | Courtland, Alabama | 1,100 | Closure |
| Cardell Cabinets-San Antonio | San Antonio, Texas | 903 | |
| Indiana University Health | Statewide, Indiana | 819 | Layoff |
| Stacy’s Greenhouses | York, South Carolina | 656 | |
| Huntington Ingalls | Gulfport, Mississippi | 623 | Closure |
| Indiana University HealthAffected Positions | Indianapolis, Indiana | 617 | |
| Jabil | Tempe, Arizona | 615 | |
| Xerox Commercial Solutions LLC | Cary, North Carolina | 508 | Layoff |
| Live Nation Entertainment, Inc | Universal City, California | 506 |
The biggest impact was at Furniture Brands International in Tupelo, Mississippi, reporting 1,451 affected workers. International Paper-Courtland Mill followed with 1,100 workers.
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
This data points to 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 September 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. Download the full dataset or explore state-by-state data.
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