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US Layoffs — June 2009

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers reported 402 WARN Act notices in June 2009, displacing an estimated 36,458 workers — signaling a deceleration from May and up 69% versus June 2008. Filings came from 26 states and territories, with an average of 91 workers per notice.

402
Total Notices
36,458
Workers Affected
26
States Reporting
91
Avg per Notice
55
Closures

Top States by Workers Affected

State-by-state layoff summary
StateNoticesWorkers
California17211,966
Michigan205,206
Kansas82,142
New York352,027
Florida181,881
Indiana111,613
Ohio151,533
New Jersey141,448
Texas301,435
Missouri91,315
Pennsylvania9764
Delaware11762
Iowa6593
Utah4570
Washington6559
Alabama3484
Maryland7388
Georgia8388
Arizona4286
Oklahoma2268
Vermont1238
Rhode Island2226
Idaho1128
Washington DC392
Louisiana190
Kentucky256

California led the nation with 11,966 workers affected across 172 notices , followed by Michigan (5,206 workers) and Kansas (2,142 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

Industry breakdown
IndustryNoticesWorkers
Manufacturing13816,156
Retail473,776
Information & Technology472,878
Healthcare222,258
Finance & Insurance301,793
Accommodation & Food121,790
Transportation201,786
Professional Services201,309
Wholesale Trade7742
Construction5406

The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 16,156 workers across 138 notices. Notably, Retail reported 3,776 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Layoff types breakdown
TypeNoticesWorkers
Layoff477,119
Closure554,743
Temporary Layoff187

Closures accounted for 13% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

Largest layoff notices
CompanyLocationWorkersType
GM ­ Lake Orion Assembly PlantLake Orion, Michigan2,801Layoff
General Motors (Wentzville Assembly)Wentzville, Missouri887Layoff
CessnaWichita, Kansas850
Nec Electronics AmericaRoseville, California750
CessnaWichita, Kansas700
General MotorsWilmington, Delaware590
South Coast Medical CenterLaguna Beach, California580
Altadis USATampa, Florida492
American AirlinesFlushing, New York456Layoff
US Food ServiceBloomington, Indiana400

The most significant filing came from GM ­ Lake Orion Assembly Plant in Lake Orion, Michigan, reporting 2,801 affected workers. General Motors (Wentzville Assembly) followed with 887 workers.

Trend & Outlook

The numbers illustrate 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 June 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.

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