US Layoffs — March 2008
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 123 WARN Act notices in March 2008, putting at risk an estimated 17,742 workers — up substantially from February and roughly flat versus March 2007. Filings came from 17 states and territories, with an average of 144 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 25 | 2,533 |
| Ohio | 11 | 2,165 |
| New Jersey | 14 | 1,972 |
| Georgia | 11 | 1,490 |
| New York | 9 | 1,303 |
| Alabama | 6 | 1,295 |
| Texas | 8 | 1,166 |
| Michigan | 6 | 1,085 |
| Washington | 3 | 829 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 742 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 680 |
| Missouri | 3 | 617 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 485 |
| Arizona | 3 | 482 |
| Iowa | 4 | 442 |
| Washington DC | 3 | 432 |
| Maryland | 1 | 24 |
Florida led the nation with 2,533 workers affected across 25 notices , followed by Ohio (2,165 workers) and New Jersey (1,972 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 41 | 7,372 |
| Healthcare | 13 | 1,720 |
| Information & Technology | 13 | 1,569 |
| Retail | 7 | 1,317 |
| Transportation | 9 | 1,136 |
| Finance & Insurance | 14 | 1,048 |
| Accommodation & Food | 5 | 625 |
| Construction | 2 | 578 |
| Government | 3 | 389 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 303 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 7,372 workers across 41 notices. Separately, Healthcare reported 1,720 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 31 | 3,945 |
| Layoff | 16 | 3,220 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Motor Company Batavia Transmissions | Batavia, Ohio | 782 | |
| Saint-Gobain Vetrotex America | Wichita Falls, Texas | 720 | |
| Macy's | Seattle, Washington | 697 | Layoff |
| Lehman Brothers | New York, New York | 600 | Layoff |
| Steelcase (inc. Caledonia Wood Plant) | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 550 | Layoff |
| Shaw Infrastructure | Fort Benning, Georgia | 528 | |
| Cargill Meat Solutions (Willow Brook Foods) | Springfield, Missouri | 511 | Closure |
| American Red Cross National Headquarters | Washington, Washington DC | 408 | Layoff |
| Georgia Pacific | Springhill, Louisiana | 401 | |
| Sea Ray Boats | Merritt Island, Florida | 400 |
Topping the list was Ford Motor Company Batavia Transmissions in Batavia, Ohio, reporting 782 affected workers. Saint-Gobain Vetrotex America followed with 720 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight 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 March 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.