US Layoffs — August 2006

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 129 WARN Act notices in August 2006, covering approximately 12,407 workers — marking a sharp increase from July and down 4% versus August 2005. Filings came from 16 states and territories, with an average of 96 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

Ohio led the nation with 2,663 workers affected across 17 notices , followed by Texas (1,428 workers) and Georgia (1,340 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 6,296 workers across 49 notices. At the same time, Finance & Insurance reported 1,281 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 20% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

Leading the list was Bank of America Card Services Operations in Horsham, Pennsylvania, reporting 617 affected workers. Tyson's Fresh Meats followed with 590 workers.

Trend & Outlook

This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.

The filings reflect 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 August 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.