US Layoffs — October 2008
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 209 WARN Act notices in October 2008, displacing an estimated 34,195 workers — signaling an acceleration from September and up 81% versus October 2007. Filings came from 21 states and territories, with an average of 164 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 21 | 6,014 |
| Ohio | 21 | 4,277 |
| Georgia | 20 | 2,886 |
| New Jersey | 12 | 2,481 |
| Texas | 20 | 2,481 |
| Florida | 20 | 2,353 |
| New York | 17 | 2,262 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 1,771 |
| Delaware | 4 | 1,520 |
| Washington | 7 | 1,336 |
| Washington DC | 8 | 1,159 |
| Indiana | 10 | 1,139 |
| Alabama | 2 | 1,089 |
| Missouri | 7 | 1,035 |
| Kentucky | 7 | 707 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 611 |
| Arizona | 10 | 600 |
| Kansas | 3 | 206 |
| Iowa | 3 | 128 |
| Vermont | 1 | 82 |
| Maryland | 1 | 58 |
Michigan led the nation with 6,014 workers affected across 21 notices , followed by Ohio (4,277 workers) and Georgia (2,886 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 89 | 17,520 |
| Information & Technology | 20 | 3,468 |
| Finance & Insurance | 16 | 1,886 |
| Retail | 16 | 1,869 |
| Transportation | 12 | 1,551 |
| Accommodation & Food | 7 | 1,349 |
| Healthcare | 7 | 1,309 |
| Government | 3 | 760 |
| Agriculture | 2 | 654 |
| Construction | 3 | 387 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 17,520 workers across 89 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 3,468 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 52 | 9,175 |
| Layoff | 34 | 6,384 |
Closures accounted for 27% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| GM Grand Rapids Metal Center | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 1,500 | Closure |
| Chrysler | Auburn Hills, Michigan | 1,500 | Layoff |
| General Motors - Moraine Assembly Plant | Moraine, Ohio | 1,166 | |
| Chrysler | Newark, Delaware | 1,125 | |
| Physician’S Medical Center | Birmingham, Alabama | 1,000 | Closure |
| Chrysler | Toledo, Ohio | 819 | |
| Cadence Innovation | Clinton Township, Michigan | 780 | Closure |
| Barclays Capital | Whippany, New Jersey | 710 | |
| Wayne Farms | College Park, Georgia | 597 | |
| Linens’ And Things | Clifton, New Jersey | 519 |
The most significant filing came from GM Grand Rapids Metal Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, reporting 1,500 affected workers. Chrysler followed with 1,500 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate 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 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.