US Layoffs — July 2009

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers logged 354 WARN Act notices in July 2009, involving roughly 24,132 workers — falling below June and down 21% versus July 2008. Filings came from 25 states and territories, with an average of 68 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 6,682 workers affected across 103 notices , followed by Ohio (3,949 workers) and New York (2,475 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 8,459 workers across 104 notices. Meanwhile, Information & Technology reported 3,557 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 16% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The biggest impact was at ABX Air in Wilmington, Ohio, reporting 1,034 affected workers. Ormet Primary Aluminum followed with 982 workers.

Trend & Outlook

This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.

This data points to a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in July 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.