US Layoffs — November 2011
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 226 WARN Act notices in November 2011, involving roughly 21,886 workers — climbing above October and up 25% versus November 2010. Filings came from 26 states and territories, with an average of 97 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 71 | 6,087 |
| New York | 37 | 3,800 |
| New Jersey | 15 | 1,958 |
| Texas | 17 | 1,816 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 1,367 |
| Michigan | 11 | 821 |
| Indiana | 5 | 616 |
| Kansas | 4 | 584 |
| Mississippi | 6 | 570 |
| Florida | 7 | 551 |
| Georgia | 8 | 531 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 438 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 389 |
| Alabama | 1 | 363 |
| Maryland | 7 | 353 |
| Washington | 1 | 215 |
| Arizona | 2 | 214 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 212 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 201 |
| Virginia | 3 | 188 |
| Iowa | 2 | 155 |
| Missouri | 3 | 140 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 117 |
| Utah | 1 | 114 |
| Ohio | 1 | 77 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 9 |
California led the nation with 6,087 workers affected across 71 notices , followed by New York (3,800 workers) and New Jersey (1,958 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 20 | 3,899 |
| Manufacturing | 52 | 3,729 |
| Healthcare | 22 | 1,825 |
| Information & Technology | 20 | 1,596 |
| Retail | 24 | 1,535 |
| Professional Services | 20 | 1,345 |
| Finance & Insurance | 6 | 800 |
| Transportation | 11 | 685 |
| Construction | 3 | 660 |
| Mining & Energy | 3 | 599 |
The Accommodation & Food sector dominated layoff filings with 3,899 workers across 20 notices. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 3,729 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 46 | 4,027 |
| Layoff | 28 | 3,002 |
| Temporary Closure | 2 | 215 |
Closures accounted for 19% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority (MTA LI Bus) | Garden City, New York | 981 | Layoff |
| Hmdhost | Los Angeles, California | 973 | |
| Alpine Meadows Ski Resort | Tahoe City, California | 945 | |
| Pillar Processing | Amherst, New York | 586 | Closure |
| State Farm Insurance | Parsippany, New Jersey | 500 | |
| Pillar Hotels & Resorts | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 420 | |
| Conoco Phillips | Trainer, Pennsylvania | 409 | |
| Afni | San Antonio, Texas | 375 | |
| American Medical Response West (Amr) | San Leandro, California | 373 | |
| Wayne Farms | Decatur, Alabama | 363 | Layoff |
The biggest impact was at Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority (MTA LI Bus) in Garden City, New York, reporting 981 affected workers. Hmdhost followed with 973 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
This data points to mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Accommodation & Food sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in November 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.