US Layoffs — March 2006
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 102 WARN Act notices in March 2006, affecting an estimated 13,596 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to February and down 20% versus March 2005. Filings came from 15 states and territories, with an average of 133 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 14 | 2,264 |
| Texas | 16 | 2,114 |
| Michigan | 17 | 1,733 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 1,592 |
| Florida | 4 | 1,316 |
| Ohio | 5 | 1,028 |
| Maryland | 6 | 848 |
| Alabama | 4 | 784 |
| New Jersey | 8 | 777 |
| Illinois | 5 | 738 |
| District of Columbia | 3 | 184 |
| Iowa | 3 | 90 |
| Washington | 4 | 70 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 58 |
| Kansas | 1 | 0 |
Georgia led the nation with 2,264 workers affected across 14 notices , followed by Texas (2,114 workers) and Michigan (1,733 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 41 | 6,086 |
| Retail | 12 | 2,575 |
| Transportation | 15 | 1,590 |
| Accommodation & Food | 2 | 1,005 |
| Professional Services | 7 | 833 |
| Finance & Insurance | 11 | 605 |
| Information & Technology | 11 | 600 |
| Construction | 1 | 160 |
| Utilities | 1 | 84 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 58 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 6,086 workers across 41 notices. On a related front, Retail reported 2,575 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 26 | 3,560 |
| Layoff | 28 | 2,479 |
Closures accounted for 26% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABC Distributing | Hialeah, Florida | 1,035 | |
| Rabun Apparel | Rabun Gap, Georgia | 930 | |
| NCED/Sahara | El Paso, Texas | 805 | |
| General Motors - Lordstown Complex | Lordstown, Ohio | 770 | |
| Phillips-Van Heusen | Ozark, Alabama | 538 | Closure |
| Strawbridge's | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 421 | Layoff |
| United | Newark, New Jersey | 349 | |
| Jones Apparel Group | Bristol, Pennsylvania | 323 | Layoff |
| Northrop Grumman | Greenbelt, Maryland | 270 | Layoff |
| Foley's | Houston, Texas | 265 |
The largest notice was filed by ABC Distributing in Hialeah, Florida, reporting 1,035 affected workers. Rabun Apparel followed with 930 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest 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 March 2006. 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.