New York Layoffs — August 2009
Employers in New York reported 29 WARN Act notices in August 2009, displacing an estimated 1,941 workers — signaling a deceleration from July and up 103% versus August 2008. The average filing covered 67 workers, with 17 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 800 |
| Utilities | 1 | 240 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 187 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 30 |
| Transportation | 1 | 29 |
| Retail | 1 | 3 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 800 workers across 1 notice. Notably, Utilities reported 240 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Suffolk | 4 | 960 |
| Tompkins | 1 | 240 |
| Cattaraugus | 1 | 187 |
| Kings | 5 | 158 |
| New York | 7 | 132 |
Suffolk bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 49% of all affected workers with 960 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Yaphank | 1 | 800 |
| Ithaca | 1 | 240 |
| Gowanda | 1 | 187 |
| Brooklyn | 4 | 149 |
| New York | 7 | 132 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 16 | 1,571 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 187 |
| Layoff | 12 | 183 |
The high proportion of closures (91% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in New York's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitman Packaging Corporation (affiliate of the Estee Lauder Companies Inc.) | Yaphank | 800 | Closure | |
| Emerson Power Transmission | Ithaca | 240 | Closure | |
| TLC Health Network/Tri-County Memorial Hospital | Gowanda | 187 | Temporary Closure | |
| HSBC-Payment Operations Unit | Brooklyn | 95 | Closure | |
| Corwood Laboratories | Hauppauge | 88 | Closure | |
| Norbord Industries | Deposit | 88 | Closure | |
| Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.'s (Production only) | Rochester | 60 | Closure | |
| White Mountains Re America Services & White Mountains Re Services | New York | 49 | Layoff | |
| Corwood Laboratories | Hauppauge | 41 | Closure | |
| Parker Hannifin Corporation Electromechanical Division | Port Washington | 36 | Closure | |
| Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church Center | New York | 33 | Layoff | |
| Rockwell Automation | Shirley | 31 | Layoff | |
| The Research Foundation of SUNY Buffalo State College | Albany | 30 | Layoff | |
| The Bank of New York Mellon - Distribution Services | New York | 29 | Closure | |
| Weisman Discount Home Centers | Brooklyn | 23 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Whitman Packaging Corporation (affiliate of the Estee Lauder Companies Inc.) at its Yaphank facility, reporting 800 affected workers. Emerson Power Transmission followed with 240 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for New York's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing 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.