US Layoffs — January 2000
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 71 WARN Act notices in January 2000, involving roughly 11,850 workers — climbing above December and up 81% versus January 1999. Filings came from 10 states and territories, with an average of 167 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 20 | 3,294 |
| Michigan | 8 | 2,050 |
| Florida | 11 | 1,844 |
| Illinois | 10 | 1,622 |
| Ohio | 7 | 1,267 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 980 |
| Maryland | 5 | 526 |
| Alabama | 2 | 192 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 75 |
| Kansas | 3 | 0 |
Texas led the nation with 3,294 workers affected across 20 notices , followed by Michigan (2,050 workers) and Florida (1,844 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 23 | 3,457 |
| Healthcare | 13 | 3,013 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 1,061 |
| Retail | 8 | 1,031 |
| Finance & Insurance | 8 | 972 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 511 |
| Information & Technology | 3 | 476 |
| Transportation | 3 | 393 |
| Utilities | 1 | 350 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3 | 236 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 3,457 workers across 23 notices. Meanwhile, Healthcare reported 3,013 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 22 | 4,174 |
| Layoff | 6 | 216 |
Closures accounted for 35% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital | Detroit, Michigan | 1,300 | Closure |
| Houston Astrodome | Houston, Texas | 1,061 | |
| Tecumseh Products | Somerset, Kentucky | 604 | |
| Computer Sciences Raytheon / CSR | Cocoa Beach, Florida | 400 | |
| Brunswick Bicycles | Olney, Illinois | 375 | Closure |
| Illinois Power | Decatur, Illinois | 350 | Closure |
| Keycorp | Cleveland, Ohio | 350 | |
| Oakwood Hospital Beyer Center | Ypsilanti, Michigan | 330 | Closure |
| Ikeda Interior Systems | Sidney, Ohio | 309 | |
| Charter BHS of Tampa Bay | Tampa, Florida | 305 |
The biggest impact was at Mercy Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, reporting 1,300 affected workers. Houston Astrodome followed with 1,061 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 Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in January 2000. 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 LaborCurrent, 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.