New York Layoffs — October 2008
Employers in New York filed 17 WARN Act notices in October 2008, impacting roughly 2,262 workers — representing a notable rise over September and up 25% versus October 2007. The average filing covered 133 workers, with 11 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 3 | 650 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | 123 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 59 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 56 |
The Transportation sector led the way in workforce reductions with 650 workers across 3 notices. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 123 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 7 | 1,454 |
| Kings | 1 | 220 |
| Richmond | 1 | 200 |
| Rockland | 2 | 123 |
| Westchester | 2 | 104 |
New York was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 64% of all affected workers with 1,454 workers across 7 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 7 | 1,090 |
| Bronx | 1 | 400 |
| Brooklyn | 1 | 220 |
| Staten Island | 1 | 200 |
| Spring Valley | 1 | 118 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 11 | 1,375 |
| Layoff | 6 | 887 |
The high proportion of closures (61% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in New York's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barclays Capital | New York | 500 | Layoff | |
| American Transit | Bronx | 400 | Closure | |
| Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Center Adult Home Care | Brooklyn | 220 | Closure | |
| RJR Paratransit | Staten Island | 200 | Closure | |
| Credit Suisse Securities (USA) | New York | 191 | Layoff | |
| Sodexo | New York | 144 | Closure | |
| Par Pharmaceutical | Spring Valley | 118 | Layoff | |
| Interep National Radio Sales | New York | 104 | Closure | |
| Coca-Cola Enterprises | Binghamton | 62 | Closure | |
| Wakiya, Gramercy Park Hotel | New York | 59 | Closure | |
| Financial Guaranty Insurance | New York | 56 | Layoff | |
| GE Capital Corporation/CitiCapital | Harrison | 54 | Closure | |
| American Transit | Yonkers | 50 | Closure | |
| Gate Gourmet | Long Island | 46 | Closure | |
| Gate Gourmet Inc Amtrak Commissary at Penn Station | New York | 36 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Barclays Capital at its New York facility, reporting 500 affected workers. American Transit followed with 400 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the New York labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Transportation sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by New York. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all New York WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.