US Layoffs — December 2007
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 181 WARN Act notices in December 2007, impacting roughly 13,394 workers — representing a pullback from November and up 30% versus December 2006. Filings came from 18 states and territories, with an average of 74 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 23 | 2,399 |
| Michigan | 8 | 2,028 |
| Ohio | 8 | 1,977 |
| Alabama | 6 | 1,710 |
| Florida | 9 | 1,394 |
| Louisiana | 5 | 1,061 |
| Georgia | 6 | 595 |
| Maryland | 7 | 558 |
| Texas | 83 | 472 |
| Washington | 6 | 295 |
| Kansas | 1 | 270 |
| Pennsylvania | 6 | 227 |
| Missouri | 4 | 167 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 130 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 58 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 51 |
| Iowa | 1 | 1 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 1 |
New York led the nation with 2,399 workers affected across 23 notices , followed by Michigan (2,028 workers) and Ohio (1,977 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 30 | 5,570 |
| Information & Technology | 27 | 1,263 |
| Finance & Insurance | 11 | 1,147 |
| Retail | 48 | 1,137 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3 | 816 |
| Transportation | 4 | 407 |
| Professional Services | 33 | 253 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 143 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 128 |
| Construction | 2 | 127 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 5,570 workers across 30 notices. In a parallel development, Information & Technology reported 1,263 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 36 | 4,055 |
| Layoff | 26 | 3,381 |
Closures accounted for 30% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrysler Corporation (Sterling Heights Ass'y) | Sterling Heights, Michigan | 1,146 | Layoff |
| Chrysler - Toledo North Assembly Plant | Toledo, Ohio | 786 | |
| The Home Depot Customer Contact Center | Riverview, Florida | 751 | |
| Ideal Merchandising | New Orleans, Louisiana | 751 | |
| Westpoint Home-Fairfax Fabrication Plant | Valley, Alabama | 650 | Closure |
| NBC Universal | New York, New York | 489 | Layoff |
| Servisair | Jamaica, New York | 405 | Layoff |
| Springs Global | Piedmont, Alabama | 325 | Closure |
| BlueCross BlueShield of Kansas | Topeka, Kansas | 270 | |
| Indalex Aluminum Solutions | Girard, Ohio | 260 |
The single largest action involved Chrysler Corporation (Sterling Heights Ass'y) in Sterling Heights, Michigan, reporting 1,146 affected workers. Chrysler - Toledo North Assembly Plant followed with 786 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The data underscores 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 December 2007. 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.