US Layoffs — September 2001
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 186 WARN Act notices in September 2001, involving roughly 31,990 workers — climbing above August and up 324% versus September 2000. Filings came from 11 states and territories, with an average of 172 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 62 | 13,061 |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | 5,100 |
| Florida | 38 | 3,262 |
| Ohio | 15 | 2,486 |
| Illinois | 14 | 2,217 |
| Georgia | 13 | 2,038 |
| Michigan | 12 | 1,884 |
| Maryland | 6 | 1,446 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 319 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 177 |
| Kansas | 1 | 0 |
Texas led the nation with 13,061 workers affected across 62 notices , followed by Pennsylvania (5,100 workers) and Florida (3,262 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 49 | 15,068 |
| Manufacturing | 50 | 7,126 |
| Information & Technology | 33 | 1,963 |
| Finance & Insurance | 4 | 1,644 |
| Retail | 7 | 1,152 |
| Healthcare | 9 | 943 |
| Utilities | 4 | 758 |
| Accommodation & Food | 8 | 724 |
| Professional Services | 5 | 555 |
| Government | 4 | 444 |
The Transportation sector dominated layoff filings with 15,068 workers across 49 notices. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 7,126 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 22 | 6,696 |
| Closure | 32 | 4,068 |
Closures accounted for 13% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | Fort Worth, Texas | 4,500 | |
| U.S. Airways | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 3,013 | Layoff |
| Continental Airlines - Houston | Houston, Texas | 2,124 | |
| OnPoint | San Antonio, Texas | 1,195 | |
| Northwest Airlines | Detroit, Michigan | 960 | Layoff |
| Us Airways | Bwi, Maryland | 776 | Layoff |
| Manufacturers Services | Mt. Prospect, Illinois | 600 | Closure |
| Thrall Car Manufacturing | Cartersville, Georgia | 539 | |
| American Eagle & Executive Airlines | Fort Worth, Texas | 500 | |
| Lucent Technology | Norcross, Georgia | 480 |
The biggest impact was at American Airlines in Fort Worth, Texas, reporting 4,500 affected workers. U.S. Airways followed with 3,013 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Transportation sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in September 2001. 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.