US Layoffs — January 2008
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 159 WARN Act notices in January 2008, affecting an estimated 20,188 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to December and up 35% versus January 2007. Filings came from 20 states and territories, with an average of 127 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 13 | 2,132 |
| Florida | 18 | 1,977 |
| Kansas | 5 | 1,963 |
| New York | 11 | 1,929 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 1,695 |
| New Jersey | 12 | 1,649 |
| Arizona | 11 | 1,547 |
| Texas | 17 | 1,122 |
| Michigan | 9 | 1,067 |
| Missouri | 7 | 785 |
| Georgia | 11 | 778 |
| Kentucky | 7 | 698 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 630 |
| Indiana | 7 | 627 |
| Maryland | 5 | 606 |
| Alabama | 3 | 363 |
| Washington | 5 | 309 |
| Iowa | 1 | 244 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 58 |
| Washington DC | 2 | 9 |
Ohio led the nation with 2,132 workers affected across 13 notices , followed by Florida (1,977 workers) and Kansas (1,963 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 54 | 7,500 |
| Retail | 18 | 2,810 |
| Transportation | 9 | 1,766 |
| Finance & Insurance | 14 | 1,641 |
| Information & Technology | 17 | 1,066 |
| Healthcare | 4 | 726 |
| Professional Services | 6 | 479 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 3 | 476 |
| Wholesale Trade | 4 | 364 |
| Utilities | 3 | 342 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 7,500 workers across 54 notices. On a related front, Retail reported 2,810 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 31 | 4,437 |
| Layoff | 26 | 2,948 |
Closures accounted for 22% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyson Fresh Meats | Emporia, Kansas | 1,550 | |
| Saint James Hospital | Newark, New Jersey | 541 | |
| American Airlines Customer Reservations Center | Cincinnati, Ohio | 477 | |
| Meijer (Stores #59 and #60) | Columbus, Ohio | 441 | |
| Altria Group, Inc. and Altria Client Services, Inc. formerly known as Altria Corporate Services | New York, New York | 440 | Closure |
| Universal Maritime Services | Port Everglades, Florida | 430 | |
| Bartlett Collins | Sapulpa, Oklahoma | 425 | |
| SuperValu | Livonia, Michigan | 366 | Closure |
| Yorktowne Inc. - Plant #6 | Red Lion, Pennsylvania | 349 | Layoff |
| Albertson's | Phoenix, Arizona | 324 |
The largest notice was filed by Tyson Fresh Meats in Emporia, Kansas, reporting 1,550 affected workers. Saint James Hospital followed with 541 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest 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 January 2008. 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.