US Layoffs — October 2000
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 61 WARN Act notices in October 2000, impacting roughly 11,548 workers — representing a notable rise over September and up 69% versus October 1999. Filings came from 8 states and territories, with an average of 189 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 14 | 2,687 |
| Alabama | 10 | 2,347 |
| Illinois | 8 | 2,122 |
| Florida | 12 | 1,865 |
| Ohio | 10 | 1,467 |
| Maryland | 5 | 840 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 153 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 67 |
Texas led the nation with 2,687 workers affected across 14 notices , followed by Alabama (2,347 workers) and Illinois (2,122 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 30 | 6,392 |
| Finance & Insurance | 5 | 1,877 |
| Wholesale Trade | 4 | 686 |
| Information & Technology | 5 | 610 |
| Agriculture | 2 | 409 |
| Healthcare | 4 | 325 |
| Retail | 2 | 236 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 160 |
| Transportation | 2 | 148 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 100 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 6,392 workers across 30 notices. In a parallel development, Finance & Insurance reported 1,877 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 20 | 3,096 |
| Layoff | 4 | 2,366 |
Closures accounted for 27% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgestone/Firestone | Decatur, Illinois | 1,486 | Layoff |
| Associates First Capital | Irving, Texas | 1,154 | |
| International Paper | Mobile, Alabama | 790 | Closure |
| Chesapeake Dist. Services | Columbia, Maryland | 457 | Closure |
| Cmi Industries | Geneva, Alabama | 420 | Layoff |
| International Paper | Courtland, Alabama | 400 | Layoff |
| King Companies - Workforce Alternatives | Jacksonville, Florida | 371 | |
| Hasbro | Cincinnati, Ohio | 362 | |
| Louisiana Pacific Corporation - New Waverly | New Waverly, Texas | 300 | |
| Mortgage.com | Sunrise, Florida | 300 |
The single largest action involved Bridgestone/Firestone in Decatur, Illinois, reporting 1,486 affected workers. Associates First Capital followed with 1,154 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores 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 October 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.