New York Layoffs — January 2009

Employers in New York submitted 60 WARN Act notices in January 2009, putting at risk an estimated 4,749 workers — down from December and up 146% versus January 2008. The average filing covered 79 workers, with 48 closures among the notices.

Industry Breakdown

The Retail sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 2,047 workers across 29 notices. Separately, Manufacturing reported 519 workers.

Geographic Hotspots

New York felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 28% of all affected workers with 1,316 workers across 14 notices.

Layoff Type Analysis

The high proportion of closures (81% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in New York's labor market.

Largest Layoffs

Topping the list was Syracuse China Company a subsidiary of Libbey at its Syracuse facility, reporting 280 affected workers. IBM - Hudson Valley Research Park followed with 274 workers.

Trend & Outlook

These figures highlight a mixed picture for New York's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Retail 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.