US Layoffs — April 2001
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 109 WARN Act notices in April 2001, covering approximately 21,704 workers — marking a sharp increase from March and up 305% versus April 2000. Filings came from 10 states and territories, with an average of 199 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 15 | 5,095 |
| Texas | 26 | 4,413 |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 2,619 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 2,419 |
| Georgia | 14 | 2,397 |
| Michigan | 11 | 2,019 |
| Florida | 7 | 1,685 |
| Alabama | 4 | 694 |
| Maryland | 5 | 290 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 73 |
Ohio led the nation with 5,095 workers affected across 15 notices , followed by Texas (4,413 workers) and Pennsylvania (2,619 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 60 | 14,616 |
| Finance & Insurance | 7 | 1,455 |
| Information & Technology | 7 | 1,315 |
| Transportation | 9 | 1,003 |
| Retail | 5 | 671 |
| Healthcare | 4 | 596 |
| Professional Services | 4 | 305 |
| Accommodation & Food | 2 | 203 |
| Construction | 1 | 107 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 70 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 14,616 workers across 60 notices. At the same time, Finance & Insurance reported 1,455 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 25 | 4,147 |
| Layoff | 19 | 3,796 |
Closures accounted for 19% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| DaimlerChrysler | Toledo, Ohio | 2,035 | |
| Mattel-Murray | Kentucky | 980 | Layoff |
| LTV Steel | Cleveland, Ohio | 901 | |
| Michigan National Bank | Farmington Hills, Michigan | 850 | Closure |
| Solectron | Austin, Texas | 850 | |
| Motorola | Boynton Beach, Florida | 800 | |
| Solectron | Suwanee, Georgia | 750 | |
| Usec | Portsmouth, Ohio | 526 | |
| Alcatel USA, Inc. - Plano | Plano, Texas | 500 | |
| Steelcase | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 500 | Layoff |
Leading the list was DaimlerChrysler in Toledo, Ohio, reporting 2,035 affected workers. Mattel-Murray followed with 980 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 April 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.