US Layoffs — August 2000
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 50 WARN Act notices in August 2000, covering approximately 7,778 workers — marking a sharp increase from July and up 66% versus August 1999. Filings came from 7 states and territories, with an average of 156 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6 | 2,182 |
| Ohio | 11 | 2,051 |
| Florida | 17 | 1,327 |
| Kentucky | 5 | 857 |
| Maryland | 4 | 543 |
| Michigan | 1 | 425 |
| Texas | 6 | 393 |
Alabama led the nation with 2,182 workers affected across 6 notices , followed by Ohio (2,051 workers) and Florida (1,327 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 21 | 4,531 |
| Retail | 13 | 997 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 757 |
| Transportation | 4 | 379 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 349 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 316 |
| Professional Services | 3 | 172 |
| Government | 1 | 79 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 78 |
| Real Estate | 1 | 60 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 4,531 workers across 21 notices. At the same time, Retail reported 997 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 12 | 3,246 |
| Layoff | 4 | 761 |
Closures accounted for 42% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf States Steel | Gadsden, Alabama | 1,690 | Closure |
| Cablevision of the Midwest | Cleveland, Ohio | 707 | |
| Crown Vantage | Parchment, Michigan | 425 | Closure |
| Buckeye Steel Castings | Columbus, Ohio | 409 | |
| Bethlehem Steel | Sparrows Pt, Maryland | 343 | Layoff |
| Peabody Coal | Kentucky | 316 | Closure |
| Dana - Spicer Heavy Axle & Brake | Kentucky | 230 | Layoff |
| Associates in Medicine | Daytona Beach, Florida | 221 | |
| Bird Vinyl Products | Kentucky | 191 | Closure |
| Kaiser Aluminum | Heath, Ohio | 181 |
Leading the list was Gulf States Steel in Gadsden, Alabama, reporting 1,690 affected workers. Cablevision of the Midwest followed with 707 workers.
Trend & Outlook
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 Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in August 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.