US Layoffs — October 2006
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 100 WARN Act notices in October 2006, impacting roughly 16,278 workers — representing a notable rise over September and up 59% versus October 2005. Filings came from 15 states and territories, with an average of 163 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 14 | 6,134 |
| Texas | 13 | 1,507 |
| Alabama | 6 | 1,251 |
| New Jersey | 9 | 1,124 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 1,101 |
| Michigan | 9 | 1,056 |
| New York | 8 | 919 |
| Florida | 7 | 766 |
| Washington | 6 | 577 |
| Iowa | 5 | 531 |
| Georgia | 5 | 359 |
| Missouri | 2 | 277 |
| Maryland | 4 | 274 |
| Kansas | 2 | 202 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 200 |
Ohio led the nation with 6,134 workers affected across 14 notices , followed by Texas (1,507 workers) and Alabama (1,251 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 47 | 5,750 |
| Retail | 8 | 4,590 |
| Information & Technology | 6 | 1,093 |
| Professional Services | 8 | 984 |
| Transportation | 4 | 622 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 493 |
| Finance & Insurance | 4 | 367 |
| Accommodation & Food | 3 | 345 |
| Real Estate | 3 | 270 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2 | 156 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 5,750 workers across 47 notices. In a parallel development, Retail reported 4,590 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 33 | 3,880 |
| Layoff | 17 | 2,306 |
Closures accounted for 24% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tops Markets | Maple Heights, Ohio | 4,133 | |
| Drummond | Adger, Alabama | 475 | Layoff |
| Plastech | Bryan, Ohio | 392 | |
| Unicco Service | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 364 | |
| Altana Pharma US | Florham Park, New Jersey | 350 | |
| Royal Window Coverings (USA) L.P | Houston, Texas | 307 | |
| Bechtel Plant Machinery | Schenectady, New York | 300 | Closure |
| Frito-Lay | Lubbock, Texas | 282 | |
| Maytag | Newton, Iowa | 280 | Closure |
| Erie Logistics | Maple Heights, Ohio | 256 |
The single largest action involved Tops Markets in Maple Heights, Ohio, reporting 4,133 affected workers. Drummond followed with 475 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores 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 October 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.