US Layoffs — July 2006
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 73 WARN Act notices in July 2006, involving roughly 10,469 workers — climbing above June and down 10% versus July 2005. Filings came from 14 states and territories, with an average of 143 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 5 | 2,082 |
| Alabama | 3 | 1,506 |
| Michigan | 9 | 1,110 |
| Ohio | 5 | 929 |
| Washington | 7 | 909 |
| Florida | 8 | 695 |
| Georgia | 7 | 666 |
| Texas | 7 | 639 |
| New York | 9 | 564 |
| Iowa | 2 | 422 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 410 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | 327 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 160 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 50 |
Missouri led the nation with 2,082 workers affected across 5 notices , followed by Alabama (1,506 workers) and Michigan (1,110 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 23 | 4,430 |
| Retail | 10 | 2,079 |
| Finance & Insurance | 9 | 927 |
| Information & Technology | 4 | 654 |
| Healthcare | 5 | 645 |
| Transportation | 5 | 468 |
| Real Estate | 1 | 175 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 158 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 155 |
| Education | 1 | 73 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 4,430 workers across 23 notices. Meanwhile, Retail reported 2,079 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 25 | 4,369 |
| Layoff | 16 | 2,601 |
Closures accounted for 42% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bf Goodrich Tire Mfg., Opelika | Opelika, Alabama | 1,350 | Closure |
| May Department Stores | St. Louis, Missouri | 1,254 | Layoff |
| NuTone | Cincinnati, Ohio | 414 | |
| Federal Mogul | St. Louis, Missouri | 340 | Closure |
| QualChoice | Cleveland, Ohio | 268 | |
| Pall Life Sciences | Ann Arbor, Michigan | 260 | Closure |
| Bank of America | Seattle, Washington | 255 | Closure |
| Rubbermaid | Centerville, Iowa | 233 | Closure |
| Windstream Communications, Inc./VALOR Telecom | Texarkana, Texas | 230 | |
| York/Johnson Control | Albany, Missouri | 220 | Layoff |
The biggest impact was at Bf Goodrich Tire Mfg., Opelika in Opelika, Alabama, reporting 1,350 affected workers. May Department Stores followed with 1,254 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in July 2006. 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.