US Layoffs — May 2005

The US labor market showed continued flux as employers logged 106 WARN Act notices in May 2005, involving roughly 10,357 workers — falling below April and up 26% versus May 2004. Filings came from 15 states and territories, with an average of 98 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

Illinois led the nation with 1,694 workers affected across 9 notices , followed by New Jersey (1,523 workers) and Georgia (1,250 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 4,165 workers across 42 notices. Meanwhile, Transportation reported 1,233 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 36% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The biggest impact was at Charter One Financial in Cleveland, Ohio, reporting 632 affected workers. Alaska Airlines followed with 477 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 May 2005. 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.