The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 266 WARN Act notices in October 2013, covering approximately 28,938 workers — marking a sharp increase from September and up 50% versus October 2012. Filings came from 29 states and territories, with an average of 109 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 53 | 6,309 |
| Texas | 23 | 3,662 |
| Oklahoma | 8 | 2,402 |
| Kentucky | 19 | 1,914 |
| New York | 40 | 1,877 |
| Florida | 12 | 1,693 |
| Ohio | 8 | 1,538 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 1,384 |
| Tennessee | 8 | 1,316 |
| New Jersey | 12 | 1,210 |
| Georgia | 10 | 1,044 |
| Virginia | 10 | 876 |
| Indiana | 9 | 623 |
| Delaware | 3 | 471 |
| Missouri | 5 | 440 |
| Washington | 3 | 425 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 424 |
| Mississippi | 5 | 387 |
| Oregon | 3 | 202 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 200 |
| Alabama | 3 | 162 |
| Idaho | 2 | 150 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 125 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 50 |
| Arizona | 1 | 30 |
| Kansas | 2 | 22 |
| Iowa | 1 | 2 |
| Maryland | 1 | 0 |
| Michigan | 1 | 0 |
California led the nation with 6,309 workers affected across 53 notices , followed by Texas (3,662 workers) and Oklahoma (2,402 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Finance & Insurance | 18 | 2,430 |
| Healthcare | 22 | 2,004 |
| Other | 36 | 1,958 |
| Accommodation & Food | 17 | 1,603 |
| Utilities | 10 | 1,579 |
| Information & Technology | 7 | 1,355 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 3 | 1,275 |
| Manufacturing | 15 | 1,191 |
| Education | 2 | 1,153 |
| Transportation | 8 | 338 |
The Finance & Insurance sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 2,430 workers across 18 notices. At the same time, Healthcare reported 2,004 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 64 | 4,785 |
| Closure | 45 | 3,538 |
Closures accounted for 12% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Venue Laboratories | Bedford, Ohio | 1,150 | |
| Aramark Sports & Entertainment-Angel Stadium | Anaheim, California | 1,088 | |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1,033 | Closure |
| Cisco Systems Inc | San Jose, California | 899 | |
| Visiting Nurses Association-El Paso | El Paso, Texas | 845 | |
| 1627 State Road 3543 Hawesville, KY 42348 | Kentucky | 686 | Layoff |
| Century Aluminum of Kentucky GP "Hawesville Smelter" | Kentucky | 686 | Layoff |
| Chesapeake Energy Corporation | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 640 | |
| Chesapeake Energy Corporation | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 640 | |
| Child Care Associates | Ft. Worth, Texas | 600 |
Leading the list was Ben Venue Laboratories in Bedford, Ohio, reporting 1,150 affected workers. Aramark Sports & Entertainment-Angel Stadium followed with 1,088 workers.
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The filings reflect mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Finance & Insurance sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in October 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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