US Layoffs — March 2008

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 138 WARN Act notices in March 2008, putting at risk an estimated 20,108 workers — up substantially from February and up 4% versus March 2007. Filings came from 18 states and territories, with an average of 146 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

Florida led the nation with 2,533 workers affected across 25 notices , followed by Illinois (2,366 workers) and Ohio (2,165 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 8,472 workers across 49 notices. Separately, Finance & Insurance reported 1,989 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 31% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

Topping the list was Ford Motor Company Batavia Transmissions in Batavia, Ohio, reporting 782 affected workers. Saint-Gobain Vetrotex America followed with 720 workers.

Trend & Outlook

After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.

These figures highlight 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 March 2008. 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.