US Layoffs — February 2011
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 208 WARN Act notices in February 2011, impacting roughly 21,138 workers — representing a notable rise over January and up 12% versus February 2010. Filings came from 25 states and territories, with an average of 102 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 41 | 3,224 |
| California | 44 | 2,946 |
| Texas | 19 | 2,165 |
| Florida | 11 | 2,087 |
| New Jersey | 15 | 1,569 |
| Alabama | 6 | 1,525 |
| Georgia | 9 | 1,309 |
| Pennsylvania | 14 | 906 |
| Delaware | 2 | 803 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 704 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 526 |
| Virginia | 3 | 423 |
| Missouri | 4 | 413 |
| Iowa | 4 | 407 |
| Washington | 3 | 323 |
| Ohio | 3 | 263 |
| Oregon | 2 | 253 |
| Michigan | 4 | 237 |
| Indiana | 3 | 202 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 180 |
| Kansas | 3 | 175 |
| Utah | 1 | 149 |
| Maryland | 1 | 146 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 122 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 81 |
New York led the nation with 3,224 workers affected across 41 notices , followed by California (2,946 workers) and Texas (2,165 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 49 | 4,560 |
| Manufacturing | 47 | 3,656 |
| Information & Technology | 20 | 2,824 |
| Finance & Insurance | 8 | 1,545 |
| Professional Services | 19 | 1,432 |
| Healthcare | 17 | 1,269 |
| Transportation | 9 | 1,216 |
| Utilities | 4 | 632 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2 | 559 |
| Accommodation & Food | 3 | 280 |
The Retail sector led the way in workforce reductions with 4,560 workers across 49 notices. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 3,656 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 51 | 5,120 |
| Layoff | 27 | 2,831 |
Closures accounted for 24% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington Trust/M&T Bank | Wilmington, Delaware | 721 | |
| Blockbuster Inc. - McKinney Distribution Center | McKinney, Texas | 627 | |
| United Space Alliance | Titusville, Florida | 549 | |
| Schenck | Orlando, Florida | 528 | |
| Haband( Orchard Brands) | Athens, Georgia | 475 | |
| New Process Gear, Inc. (Division of Magna Powertrain) | East Syracuse, New York | 417 | Closure |
| Heartland Catfish | Itta Benna, Mississippi | 400 | Layoff |
| Beaulieu Group | Eufaula, Alabama | 392 | Closure |
| Alabama Aircraft Industries | Birmingham, Alabama | 321 | Closure |
| Northrop Grumman Technical Services | Suffolk, Virginia | 293 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Wilmington Trust/M&T Bank in Wilmington, Delaware, reporting 721 affected workers. Blockbuster Inc. - McKinney Distribution Center followed with 627 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in February 2011. 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.