US Layoffs — March 2001
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 123 WARN Act notices in March 2001, involving roughly 18,021 workers — climbing above February and up 94% versus March 2000. Filings came from 11 states and territories, with an average of 147 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 23 | 4,035 |
| Michigan | 16 | 2,398 |
| Florida | 16 | 2,123 |
| Pennsylvania | 19 | 2,045 |
| Georgia | 15 | 1,901 |
| Alabama | 9 | 1,873 |
| Ohio | 11 | 1,671 |
| Kentucky | 7 | 1,238 |
| Maryland | 1 | 297 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 271 |
| Kansas | 3 | 169 |
Texas led the nation with 4,035 workers affected across 23 notices , followed by Michigan (2,398 workers) and Florida (2,123 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 53 | 8,213 |
| Information & Technology | 24 | 3,879 |
| Finance & Insurance | 16 | 2,212 |
| Healthcare | 4 | 835 |
| Retail | 7 | 606 |
| Professional Services | 5 | 325 |
| Transportation | 1 | 320 |
| Accommodation & Food | 5 | 276 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3 | 230 |
| Government | 1 | 195 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 8,213 workers across 53 notices. Meanwhile, Information & Technology reported 3,879 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 31 | 4,429 |
| Layoff | 18 | 3,239 |
Closures accounted for 25% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haggar Clothing Company - Edinburg | Edinburg, Texas | 600 | |
| Multilayer Technology | Austin, Texas | 600 | |
| WorldCom | Pinellas Park, Florida | 499 | |
| The William Carter | Harlingen, Texas | 482 | |
| Meridian Automotive Systems, I | Lapeer, Michigan | 450 | Closure |
| Old Kent Financial #4420 | Kentwood, Michigan | 398 | Layoff |
| Selectcare | Troy, Michigan | 358 | Closure |
| Sitel | San Antonio, Texas | 355 | |
| Sci Systems | Arab, Alabama | 337 | Closure |
| Upper Rio Grande Private Industry Council | El Paso, Texas | 330 |
The biggest impact was at Haggar Clothing Company - Edinburg in Edinburg, Texas, reporting 600 affected workers. Multilayer Technology followed with 600 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to 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 March 2001. 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.