US Layoffs — July 2012
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers logged 215 WARN Act notices in July 2012, involving roughly 20,245 workers — falling below June and up 9% versus July 2011. Filings came from 31 states and territories, with an average of 94 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 16 | 4,196 |
| California | 67 | 3,836 |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | 2,004 |
| Ohio | 7 | 1,799 |
| New York | 23 | 1,178 |
| Utah | 1 | 779 |
| Georgia | 8 | 631 |
| Texas | 10 | 608 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 606 |
| Tennessee | 10 | 524 |
| Arizona | 5 | 444 |
| Delaware | 1 | 426 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 412 |
| South Carolina | 8 | 357 |
| Florida | 5 | 336 |
| Washington | 3 | 280 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 244 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 222 |
| Washington DC | 2 | 217 |
| Mississippi | 6 | 205 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 118 |
| Virginia | 2 | 118 |
| Missouri | 1 | 116 |
| Idaho | 1 | 107 |
| Indiana | 2 | 105 |
| Alabama | 1 | 87 |
| Michigan | 1 | 77 |
| Iowa | 3 | 66 |
| Maryland | 1 | 55 |
| Oregon | 1 | 46 |
| Kansas | 3 | 46 |
Kentucky led the nation with 4,196 workers affected across 16 notices , followed by California (3,836 workers) and Pennsylvania (2,004 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 83 | 6,722 |
| Transportation | 23 | 3,633 |
| Information & Technology | 12 | 1,183 |
| Healthcare | 17 | 944 |
| Retail | 7 | 781 |
| Accommodation & Food | 7 | 753 |
| Finance & Insurance | 9 | 703 |
| Professional Services | 13 | 676 |
| Government | 2 | 538 |
| Mining & Energy | 3 | 318 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 6,722 workers across 83 notices. Meanwhile, Transportation reported 3,633 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 39 | 5,695 |
| Layoff | 41 | 2,056 |
Closures accounted for 28% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comair | Lexington, Kentucky | 1,194 | Closure |
| See WARN | Kentucky | 1,194 | Closure |
| Ormet Primary Aluminum | Hannibal, Ohio | 998 | |
| URS Corp - EG&G Defense Materials | Tooele, Utah | 779 | |
| Port Authority of Allegheny County | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 518 | |
| Pinnacle Foods Group | Millsboro, Delaware | 426 | |
| Veolia Transportation-Dallas | Dallas, Texas | 375 | |
| Hostess Brands | Los Angeles, California | 363 | |
| MissaBay | Swedesboro, New Jersey | 305 | |
| Day Timers | East Texas, Pennsylvania | 288 |
The biggest impact was at Comair in Lexington, Kentucky, reporting 1,194 affected workers. See WARN followed with 1,194 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
This data points to 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 July 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.