US Layoffs — August 2011
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 199 WARN Act notices in August 2011, impacting roughly 17,974 workers — representing a pullback from July and down 23% versus August 2010. Filings came from 27 states and territories, with an average of 90 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 65 | 5,134 |
| New York | 21 | 1,978 |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | 1,353 |
| Texas | 12 | 1,221 |
| Florida | 11 | 998 |
| Georgia | 10 | 917 |
| Virginia | 4 | 744 |
| Alabama | 3 | 701 |
| Washington | 7 | 637 |
| Missouri | 5 | 541 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 498 |
| Ohio | 5 | 425 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 412 |
| Arizona | 5 | 401 |
| Michigan | 3 | 262 |
| Maryland | 4 | 254 |
| Indiana | 2 | 253 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 243 |
| Washington DC | 4 | 212 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 180 |
| Iowa | 2 | 125 |
| Mississippi | 5 | 118 |
| Kansas | 2 | 106 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 98 |
| Vermont | 1 | 78 |
| Utah | 1 | 77 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 8 |
California led the nation with 5,134 workers affected across 65 notices , followed by New York (1,978 workers) and Pennsylvania (1,353 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 81 | 6,634 |
| Healthcare | 16 | 2,556 |
| Professional Services | 21 | 2,437 |
| Information & Technology | 12 | 1,116 |
| Retail | 12 | 1,016 |
| Finance & Insurance | 8 | 614 |
| Accommodation & Food | 5 | 371 |
| Transportation | 5 | 322 |
| Government | 3 | 316 |
| Wholesale Trade | 4 | 302 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 6,634 workers across 81 notices. In a parallel development, Healthcare reported 2,556 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 35 | 3,581 |
| Layoff | 28 | 2,587 |
Closures accounted for 20% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco Systems | San Jose, California | 989 | |
| Peninsula Hospital Center | Far Rockaway, New York | 879 | Closure |
| INOVA Health System | Falls Church, Virginia | 463 | Layoff |
| Sikorsky Support Services | Corpus Christi, Texas | 450 | |
| Vt Group | Kings Bay, Georgia | 381 | |
| RR Donnelly | Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania | 284 | |
| Jacobs Ests Group | Huntsville, Alabama | 281 | Layoff |
| Central Parking System | St. Louis, Missouri | 254 | Closure |
| VT Group | Ft. Sill, Oklahoma | 243 | |
| TeleTech | Bremerton, Washington | 240 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Cisco Systems in San Jose, California, reporting 989 affected workers. Peninsula Hospital Center followed with 879 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores 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 August 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.