US Layoffs — October 2011
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 213 WARN Act notices in October 2011, displacing an estimated 19,226 workers — signaling an acceleration from September and down 14% versus October 2010. Filings came from 29 states and territories, with an average of 90 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 59 | 4,742 |
| New York | 28 | 1,636 |
| Florida | 11 | 1,390 |
| Pennsylvania | 14 | 1,321 |
| Washington | 6 | 1,275 |
| Ohio | 6 | 1,024 |
| Georgia | 7 | 977 |
| Michigan | 7 | 957 |
| Virginia | 9 | 901 |
| Indiana | 9 | 808 |
| Texas | 14 | 804 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 433 |
| Kansas | 6 | 332 |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 277 |
| Arizona | 3 | 274 |
| Missouri | 2 | 269 |
| Idaho | 1 | 250 |
| Alabama | 2 | 244 |
| Utah | 2 | 214 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 211 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 136 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 132 |
| Oregon | 2 | 129 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 126 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 112 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 103 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 84 |
| Maryland | 1 | 60 |
| Iowa | 1 | 5 |
California led the nation with 4,742 workers affected across 59 notices , followed by New York (1,636 workers) and Florida (1,390 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 80 | 6,928 |
| Information & Technology | 14 | 1,953 |
| Retail | 17 | 1,741 |
| Transportation | 13 | 1,588 |
| Healthcare | 12 | 1,522 |
| Accommodation & Food | 6 | 911 |
| Wholesale Trade | 8 | 639 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 4 | 616 |
| Professional Services | 8 | 526 |
| Finance & Insurance | 7 | 338 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 6,928 workers across 80 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 1,953 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 48 | 5,010 |
| Layoff | 18 | 1,161 |
Closures accounted for 26% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberly-Clark | Everett, Washington | 760 | Closure |
| Hanjin International Corp. DBA The Wilshire Grand | Los Angeles, California | 470 | |
| Management & Training Corp. and MTC Medical (MTC) | Conneaut, Ohio | 446 | |
| Mesaba Airlines | Romulus, Michigan | 427 | Closure |
| Ramtech Support Services, Inc. (Letterkenny Army Depot) | Chambersburg, Pennsylvania | 360 | |
| Tiburon Associates, Inc. (Letterkenny Army Depot) | Chambersburg, Pennsylvania | 344 | |
| Sierra Kings Health Care District | Reedley, California | 320 | |
| Randstad (Google, Inc.) | Mountain View, California | 314 | |
| CBA Insert Distribution System | Brooklyn, New York | 312 | Closure |
| The Sports Club | Los Angeles, California | 289 |
The most significant filing came from Kimberly-Clark in Everett, Washington, reporting 760 affected workers. Hanjin International Corp. DBA The Wilshire Grand followed with 470 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in October 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.