US Layoffs — May 2000
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 47 WARN Act notices in May 2000, putting at risk an estimated 7,122 workers — up substantially from April and up 4% versus May 1999. Filings came from 8 states and territories, with an average of 152 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 9 | 2,063 |
| Florida | 11 | 1,244 |
| Ohio | 7 | 1,082 |
| Alabama | 5 | 786 |
| Texas | 9 | 783 |
| Maryland | 2 | 731 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 368 |
| Kansas | 1 | 65 |
Michigan led the nation with 2,063 workers affected across 9 notices , followed by Florida (1,244 workers) and Ohio (1,082 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 15 | 2,923 |
| Retail | 3 | 530 |
| Accommodation & Food | 2 | 525 |
| Finance & Insurance | 4 | 524 |
| Transportation | 4 | 390 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 4 | 360 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 281 |
| Healthcare | 4 | 241 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2 | 123 |
| Utilities | 1 | 81 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 2,923 workers across 15 notices. Separately, Retail reported 530 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 13 | 2,063 |
| Layoff | 3 | 1,517 |
Closures accounted for 29% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoalliance International | Flat Rock, Michigan | 950 | Layoff |
| General Motors | Baltimore City, Maryland | 450 | Layoff |
| Roberds | Fairborn, Ohio | 300 | |
| Arrow Shirt | Albertville, Alabama | 295 | Closure |
| Cellularone/Sbms | Greenbelt, Maryland | 281 | Closure |
| The Midland | Columbus, Ohio | 275 | |
| United States Enrichment | Kentucky | 271 | |
| Marriott International | Orlando, Florida | 250 | |
| G & L Industries | Chesterfield, Michigan | 228 | Closure |
| Sawyer Lumber | Gwinn, Michigan | 226 | Closure |
Topping the list was Autoalliance International in Flat Rock, Michigan, reporting 950 affected workers. General Motors followed with 450 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 May 2000. 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.