New York Layoffs — May 2012
Employers in New York posted 45 WARN Act notices in May 2012, affecting an estimated 2,944 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to April and up 255% versus May 2011. The average filing covered 65 workers, with 31 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 2 | 457 |
| Finance & Insurance | 3 | 237 |
| Transportation | 2 | 152 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 94 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 9 |
The Utilities sector saw the heaviest impact with 457 workers across 2 notices. On a related front, Finance & Insurance reported 237 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 7 | 923 |
| Kings | 2 | 430 |
| Onondaga | 2 | 429 |
| Erie | 5 | 197 |
| Queens | 6 | 185 |
New York was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 31% of all affected workers with 923 workers across 7 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 7 | 923 |
| Brooklyn | 2 | 430 |
| East Syracuse | 1 | 406 |
| Buffalo | 3 | 193 |
| Rochester | 8 | 175 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 30 | 2,013 |
| Layoff | 14 | 854 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 77 |
The high proportion of closures (71% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in New York's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dewey & LeBoeuf | New York | 433 | Layoff | |
| New Process Gear, Inc. (Division of Magna Powertrain) | East Syracuse | 406 | Closure | |
| L & M Bus | Brooklyn | 310 | Closure | |
| TGI Friday's | New York | 170 | Closure | |
| MetLife - Home Mortgage Operation | Newburgh | 134 | Closure | |
| Credit Suisse Securities (USA) | New York | 126 | Layoff | |
| Pride Transportation Services | Brooklyn | 120 | Closure | |
| Eastman Kodak Company - Kodak Research Labs | Rochester | 92 | Layoff | |
| Citco Fund Services (USA) | Rye Brook | 85 | Closure | |
| Ben Benson's Steakhouse | New York | 80 | Closure | |
| Capital One | Buffalo | 78 | Closure | |
| HSBC (AML Compliance Unit) | Buffalo | 77 | Closure | |
| Haru Park Avenue | New York | 77 | Temporary Closure | |
| Hostess Brands Inc. (aka Interstate Brands) | Hicksville | 57 | Closure | |
| Hostess Brands Inc. (aka Interstate Brands) | Melville | 53 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Dewey & LeBoeuf at its New York facility, reporting 433 affected workers. New Process Gear, Inc. (Division of Magna Powertrain) followed with 406 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest mounting pressure on the New York labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Utilities sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by New York. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all New York WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.