US Layoffs — January 2012
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 285 WARN Act notices in January 2012, involving roughly 23,846 workers — climbing above December and up 20% versus January 2011. Filings came from 32 states and territories, with an average of 84 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 54 | 2,751 |
| Texas | 16 | 2,595 |
| Alabama | 6 | 1,807 |
| North Carolina | 32 | 1,791 |
| New York | 37 | 1,715 |
| Ohio | 10 | 1,359 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 1,243 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 1,226 |
| Tennessee | 28 | 1,139 |
| Florida | 10 | 972 |
| New Jersey | 8 | 931 |
| Mississippi | 9 | 705 |
| Georgia | 5 | 700 |
| Virginia | 8 | 688 |
| Maryland | 4 | 509 |
| Indiana | 5 | 451 |
| Kansas | 6 | 434 |
| Maine | 1 | 423 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 392 |
| Arizona | 5 | 274 |
| Michigan | 4 | 250 |
| Missouri | 3 | 229 |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 203 |
| Idaho | 1 | 200 |
| Utah | 1 | 195 |
| Washington | 1 | 167 |
| Iowa | 2 | 144 |
| South Carolina | 7 | 138 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 100 |
| Oregon | 2 | 67 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 30 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 18 |
California led the nation with 2,751 workers affected across 54 notices , followed by Texas (2,595 workers) and Alabama (1,807 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 83 | 5,690 |
| Retail | 68 | 5,008 |
| Finance & Insurance | 15 | 2,285 |
| Accommodation & Food | 13 | 1,627 |
| Transportation | 12 | 1,609 |
| Healthcare | 16 | 1,593 |
| Information & Technology | 15 | 1,453 |
| Professional Services | 11 | 1,109 |
| Wholesale Trade | 5 | 457 |
| Utilities | 13 | 328 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 5,690 workers across 83 notices. Meanwhile, Retail reported 5,008 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 117 | 7,654 |
| Layoff | 31 | 2,939 |
Closures accounted for 32% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anniston Army Depot | Anniston, Alabama | 975 | Layoff |
| MetLife (Horizon) | Irving, Texas | 600 | |
| MetLife - Irving2 | Irving, Texas | 600 | |
| UPS SCS Hebron Building K Facility | Hebron, Kentucky | 542 | Closure |
| 1505 Worldwide Blvd. Hebron, Kentucky | Kentucky | 542 | Closure |
| Hostess | Biddeford, Maine | 423 | |
| Pillar Hotels & Resorts | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 420 | |
| sanofi-aventis U.S | Bridgewater, New Jersey | 391 | |
| The Hershey | Hershey, Pennsylvania | 373 | |
| Liz Claiborne Distribution Center | West Chester, Ohio | 365 |
The biggest impact was at Anniston Army Depot in Anniston, Alabama, reporting 975 affected workers. MetLife (Horizon) followed with 600 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to 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 January 2012. 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.