US Layoffs — September 2006
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 106 WARN Act notices in September 2006, affecting an estimated 17,277 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to August and up 92% versus September 2005. Filings came from 16 states and territories, with an average of 163 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 6 | 2,649 |
| Florida | 10 | 2,488 |
| Illinois | 9 | 1,562 |
| Georgia | 8 | 1,423 |
| Alabama | 6 | 1,412 |
| Ohio | 9 | 1,398 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 1,328 |
| New York | 8 | 1,225 |
| Missouri | 5 | 784 |
| Michigan | 4 | 737 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 625 |
| Texas | 13 | 521 |
| Kansas | 3 | 513 |
| Maryland | 2 | 326 |
| Washington | 5 | 285 |
| Iowa | 1 | 1 |
New Jersey led the nation with 2,649 workers affected across 6 notices , followed by Florida (2,488 workers) and Illinois (1,562 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 57 | 7,895 |
| Transportation | 4 | 2,709 |
| Accommodation & Food | 3 | 2,274 |
| Retail | 9 | 923 |
| Information & Technology | 8 | 830 |
| Professional Services | 6 | 826 |
| Construction | 2 | 397 |
| Finance & Insurance | 5 | 355 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2 | 340 |
| Agriculture | 2 | 224 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 7,895 workers across 57 notices. On a related front, Transportation reported 2,709 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 33 | 5,110 |
| Layoff | 23 | 2,360 |
Closures accounted for 30% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sands Hotel & Casino | Atlantic City, New Jersey | 2,167 | |
| Barton Protective Services | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 1,750 | |
| Swift Galey Midland/sixth Avenue | Columbus, Georgia | 800 | |
| Bridgestone/Firestone | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 700 | |
| GM Hamtramck Assembly Plant | Detroit, Michigan | 581 | Layoff |
| Rowe Furniture | Poplar Bluff, Missouri | 471 | Closure |
| Lear Siegler Services | Fort Rucker, Alabama | 421 | Closure |
| ConAgra Foods | Archbold, Ohio | 390 | |
| Westpoint Home-Lanett | Lanett, Alabama | 370 | Closure |
| Westpoint Home-Opelika | Opelika, Alabama | 325 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Sands Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, reporting 2,167 affected workers. Barton Protective Services followed with 1,750 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The trends suggest 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 September 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.