US Layoffs — January 2009
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 524 WARN Act notices in January 2009, involving roughly 58,562 workers — climbing above December and up 190% versus January 2008. Filings came from 27 states and territories, with an average of 112 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 189 | 12,254 |
| Texas | 60 | 5,339 |
| New York | 60 | 4,749 |
| Pennsylvania | 24 | 4,615 |
| Arizona | 17 | 3,137 |
| Kansas | 5 | 3,122 |
| Michigan | 15 | 3,112 |
| Ohio | 20 | 3,092 |
| Georgia | 13 | 3,077 |
| Florida | 24 | 2,720 |
| New Jersey | 17 | 2,216 |
| Washington | 10 | 2,040 |
| Indiana | 17 | 1,944 |
| Missouri | 7 | 1,287 |
| Alabama | 3 | 884 |
| Maryland | 8 | 763 |
| Louisiana | 4 | 751 |
| Kentucky | 5 | 630 |
| Iowa | 5 | 616 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 487 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 391 |
| Delaware | 8 | 360 |
| Vermont | 2 | 334 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 320 |
| Idaho | 1 | 171 |
| Utah | 2 | 148 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 3 |
California led the nation with 12,254 workers affected across 189 notices , followed by Texas (5,339 workers) and New York (4,749 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 182 | 24,270 |
| Retail | 79 | 7,092 |
| Transportation | 56 | 5,436 |
| Information & Technology | 50 | 4,031 |
| Finance & Insurance | 39 | 2,880 |
| Mining & Energy | 10 | 2,677 |
| Professional Services | 19 | 2,210 |
| Healthcare | 13 | 1,764 |
| Wholesale Trade | 5 | 732 |
| Admin & Support Services | 1 | 706 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 24,270 workers across 182 notices. Meanwhile, Retail reported 7,092 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 98 | 11,092 |
| Layoff | 42 | 7,998 |
Closures accounted for 19% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna | Wichita, Kansas | 2,800 | |
| Freeport-McMoRan Morenci | Morenci, Arizona | 1,550 | |
| Cooper Tire & Rubber | Albany, Georgia | 1,268 | |
| GM Lansing Delta Township | Lansing, Michigan | 1,246 | Layoff |
| Microsoft | Redmond, Washington | 872 | Layoff |
| GM Lordstown | Lordstown, Ohio | 793 | |
| Grove US | Shady Grove, Pennsylvania | 706 | Layoff |
| Elwood Staffing/Honda Plant | Lincoln, Alabama | 706 | Layoff |
| United | San Francisco, California | 598 | |
| Sony | Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania | 560 | Closure |
The biggest impact was at Cessna in Wichita, Kansas, reporting 2,800 affected workers. Freeport-McMoRan Morenci followed with 1,550 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to 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 January 2009. 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.