US Layoffs — September 2011
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 197 WARN Act notices in September 2011, putting at risk an estimated 18,638 workers — up substantially from August and up 54% versus September 2010. Filings came from 25 states and territories, with an average of 95 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 33 | 5,570 |
| California | 55 | 3,252 |
| Florida | 15 | 2,125 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 1,215 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 1,117 |
| Texas | 19 | 944 |
| Indiana | 6 | 550 |
| Georgia | 5 | 503 |
| Maryland | 3 | 465 |
| Missouri | 3 | 455 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 374 |
| Kansas | 5 | 326 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 246 |
| Michigan | 2 | 228 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 215 |
| Ohio | 2 | 211 |
| Virginia | 3 | 179 |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 173 |
| Washington DC | 6 | 173 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 102 |
| Arizona | 1 | 69 |
| Washington | 1 | 67 |
| Oregon | 1 | 35 |
| Utah | 1 | 35 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 9 |
New York led the nation with 5,570 workers affected across 33 notices , followed by California (3,252 workers) and Florida (2,125 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 82 | 5,908 |
| Finance & Insurance | 17 | 2,141 |
| Information & Technology | 11 | 1,345 |
| Accommodation & Food | 9 | 1,149 |
| Transportation | 14 | 1,004 |
| Professional Services | 12 | 790 |
| Utilities | 4 | 671 |
| Healthcare | 9 | 655 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 2 | 515 |
| Government | 8 | 364 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 5,908 workers across 82 notices. Separately, Finance & Insurance reported 2,141 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 33 | 5,318 |
| Layoff | 29 | 2,417 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 35 |
Closures accounted for 29% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Services Systems | Astoria, New York | 1,952 | Closure |
| Uss-Posco Industries | Pittsburg, California | 706 | |
| New Process Gear, Inc. (Division of Magna Powertrain) | East Syracuse, New York | 498 | Closure |
| New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority | East Rutherford, New Jersey | 450 | |
| Unilever Ice Cream | Hagerstown, Maryland | 437 | Closure |
| Citigroup Inc. and its NY Subsidiaries | New York, New York | 413 | Layoff |
| Georgia-Pacific | Hawthorne, Florida | 400 | |
| Sikorsky Naval Air Station Whiting Field | Milton, Florida | 381 | |
| Downtown Bronx Medical Associates, P.C. @ Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center | Bronx, New York | 374 | Closure |
| Hyatt Regency Crown Center | Kansas City, Missouri | 337 | Layoff |
Topping the list was Home Services Systems in Astoria, New York, reporting 1,952 affected workers. Uss-Posco Industries followed with 706 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in September 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.