US Layoffs — September 2001
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 172 WARN Act notices in September 2001, involving roughly 29,812 workers — climbing above August and up 425% versus September 2000. Filings came from 10 states and territories, with an average of 173 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 62 | 13,061 |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | 5,100 |
| Florida | 38 | 3,262 |
| Ohio | 15 | 2,486 |
| Georgia | 13 | 2,038 |
| Michigan | 12 | 1,884 |
| Maryland | 6 | 1,446 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 319 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 177 |
| Kansas | 1 | 39 |
Texas led the nation with 13,061 workers affected across 62 notices , followed by Pennsylvania (5,100 workers) and Florida (3,262 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 44 | 14,350 |
| Manufacturing | 44 | 5,973 |
| Information & Technology | 33 | 1,963 |
| Retail | 5 | 985 |
| Healthcare | 9 | 943 |
| Utilities | 4 | 758 |
| Accommodation & Food | 8 | 724 |
| Professional Services | 5 | 555 |
| Government | 4 | 444 |
| Mining & Energy | 2 | 395 |
The Transportation sector dominated layoff filings with 14,350 workers across 44 notices. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 5,973 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 19 | 6,234 |
| Closure | 20 | 2,313 |
Closures accounted for 8% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | Ft. Worth, Texas | 4,500 | |
| U.S. Airways | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 3,013 | Layoff |
| Continental Airlines - Houston | Houston, Texas | 2,124 | |
| OnPoint | San Antonio, Texas | 1,195 | |
| Northwest Airlines | Detroit, Michigan | 960 | Layoff |
| Us Airways | Bwi, Maryland | 776 | Layoff |
| Thrall Car Manufacturing | Cartersville, Georgia | 539 | |
| American Eagle & Executive Airlines | Ft. Worth, Texas | 500 | |
| Lucent Technology | Norcross, Georgia | 480 | |
| Applied Materials, Inc. - Austin | Austin, Texas | 475 |
The biggest impact was at American Airlines in Ft. Worth, Texas, reporting 4,500 affected workers. U.S. Airways followed with 3,013 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 Transportation sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in September 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.