US Layoffs — April 2009
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 372 WARN Act notices in April 2009, impacting roughly 32,111 workers — representing a pullback from March and up 45% versus April 2008. Filings came from 24 states and territories, with an average of 86 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 139 | 8,160 |
| Florida | 17 | 2,841 |
| Ohio | 14 | 2,546 |
| Georgia | 17 | 2,513 |
| New York | 32 | 2,151 |
| Kansas | 10 | 1,939 |
| Texas | 41 | 1,766 |
| Michigan | 12 | 1,470 |
| Indiana | 10 | 1,438 |
| Missouri | 9 | 1,125 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 919 |
| Arizona | 5 | 828 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 800 |
| Washington | 8 | 752 |
| Alabama | 5 | 625 |
| Maryland | 9 | 602 |
| Louisiana | 6 | 568 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 478 |
| Iowa | 3 | 223 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 163 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 100 |
| Washington DC | 10 | 61 |
| Vermont | 1 | 42 |
| Delaware | 1 | 1 |
California led the nation with 8,160 workers affected across 139 notices , followed by Florida (2,841 workers) and Ohio (2,546 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 158 | 14,728 |
| Information & Technology | 53 | 2,635 |
| Transportation | 15 | 2,437 |
| Retail | 28 | 2,060 |
| Finance & Insurance | 19 | 1,573 |
| Healthcare | 12 | 1,263 |
| Accommodation & Food | 8 | 1,152 |
| Professional Services | 13 | 906 |
| Construction | 2 | 346 |
| Other | 1 | 316 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 14,728 workers across 158 notices. In a parallel development, Information & Technology reported 2,635 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 48 | 5,375 |
| Layoff | 57 | 3,453 |
Closures accounted for 17% 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 | 1,300 | |
| Smithfield Packing | Plant City, Florida | 720 | |
| First Student | Jacksonville, Florida | 660 | |
| Trinity North American Freight Car | Cartersvile, Georgia | 659 | |
| Watson Laboratories | Hopewell Junction, New York | 622 | Closure |
| ABX Air | Wilmington, Ohio | 518 | |
| Community Hospital Of Los Gatos | Los Gatos, California | 500 | |
| Fleetwood | Decatur, Indiana | 443 | |
| Noble International | Warren, Michigan | 400 | Closure |
| Aramark | Cleveland, Ohio | 397 |
The single largest action involved Cessna in Wichita, Kansas, reporting 1,300 affected workers. Smithfield Packing followed with 720 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The data underscores a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in April 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.