US Layoffs — September 2008
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 141 WARN Act notices in September 2008, putting at risk an estimated 19,851 workers — up substantially from August and up 35% versus September 2007. Filings came from 18 states and territories, with an average of 141 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 20 | 3,006 |
| New Jersey | 12 | 2,718 |
| Texas | 18 | 2,238 |
| New York | 11 | 2,232 |
| Ohio | 11 | 1,842 |
| Florida | 15 | 1,324 |
| Missouri | 7 | 1,190 |
| Michigan | 9 | 1,107 |
| Washington DC | 3 | 659 |
| Alabama | 4 | 641 |
| Indiana | 5 | 599 |
| Pennsylvania | 6 | 588 |
| Arizona | 5 | 392 |
| Maryland | 5 | 364 |
| Iowa | 3 | 362 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 350 |
| Washington | 3 | 153 |
| Kansas | 1 | 86 |
Georgia led the nation with 3,006 workers affected across 20 notices , followed by New Jersey (2,718 workers) and Texas (2,238 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 39 | 6,016 |
| Information & Technology | 21 | 3,744 |
| Retail | 19 | 2,763 |
| Finance & Insurance | 17 | 1,341 |
| Government | 5 | 700 |
| Accommodation & Food | 5 | 572 |
| Professional Services | 5 | 566 |
| Transportation | 5 | 461 |
| Real Estate | 2 | 253 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 176 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 6,016 workers across 39 notices. Separately, Information & Technology reported 3,744 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 35 | 5,513 |
| Layoff | 18 | 2,128 |
Closures accounted for 28% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newark Morning Ledger | Newark, New Jersey | 1,657 | |
| Norwalk Furniture | Norwalk, Ohio | 497 | |
| Amalgamated Life | New York, New York | 466 | Closure |
| US House of Representatives | Washington DC | 456 | Layoff |
| Dmax | Moraine, Ohio | 355 | |
| Tower Automotive | Traverse City, Michigan | 347 | Closure |
| Kaz | Hudson, New York | 337 | Closure |
| Verizon Wireless | St. Louis, Missouri | 333 | Closure |
| Bill Heard | Columbus, Georgia | 333 | |
| Castleberry's | Augusta, Georgia | 327 |
Topping the list was Newark Morning Ledger in Newark, New Jersey, reporting 1,657 affected workers. Norwalk Furniture followed with 497 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight 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 September 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.