Alabama Layoffs — December 2008
Employers in Alabama posted 6 WARN Act notices in December 2008, affecting an estimated 1,245 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to November and down 27% versus December 2007. The average filing covered 208 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 738 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 283 |
| Transportation | 1 | 41 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 738 workers across 1 notice. On a related front, Professional Services reported 283 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| De Kalb | 1 | 738 |
| Talladega | 1 | 283 |
| Marion | 1 | 125 |
| Jefferson | 3 | 99 |
De Kalb absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 59% of all affected workers with 738 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Payne | 1 | 738 |
| Sylacauga | 1 | 283 |
| Hamilton | 1 | 125 |
| Fairfield | 2 | 53 |
| Mc Calla | 1 | 46 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 1,146 |
| Layoff | 3 | 99 |
The high proportion of closures (92% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Alabama's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gildan | Fort Payne | 738 | Closure | |
| Vertis Communications | Sylacauga | 283 | Closure | |
| Patriot Homes, Inc.. (Aka Southridge Homes) | Hamilton | 125 | Closure | |
| Flex-N-Gate-Alabama | Mc Calla | 46 | Layoff | |
| Birmingham Southern Railroad | Fairfield | 41 | Layoff | |
| Fairfield Southern | Fairfield | 12 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by Gildan at its Fort Payne facility, reporting 738 affected workers. Vertis Communications followed with 283 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for Alabama's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Alabama. 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 Alabama WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.