US Layoffs — May 2000

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 64 WARN Act notices in May 2000, putting at risk an estimated 10,068 workers — up substantially from April and up 46% versus May 1999. Filings came from 9 states and territories, with an average of 157 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

Illinois led the nation with 2,946 workers affected across 15 notices , followed by Michigan (2,063 workers) and Florida (1,244 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 5,764 workers across 27 notices. Separately, Finance & Insurance reported 978 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 41% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.

Largest Layoffs

Topping the list was Autoalliance International in Flat Rock, Michigan, reporting 950 affected workers. Trailmobile followed with 900 workers.

Trend & Outlook

After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.

These figures highlight 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 May 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 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.