US Layoffs — March 2008
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 136 WARN Act notices in March 2008, putting at risk an estimated 19,501 workers — up substantially from February and up 2% versus March 2007. Filings came from 18 states and territories, with an average of 143 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 25 | 2,533 |
| Ohio | 11 | 2,165 |
| New Jersey | 14 | 1,972 |
| Illinois | 13 | 1,953 |
| Georgia | 11 | 1,490 |
| New York | 10 | 1,303 |
| Texas | 8 | 1,166 |
| Alabama | 5 | 1,101 |
| Michigan | 6 | 1,085 |
| Washington | 3 | 829 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 742 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 680 |
| Missouri | 3 | 617 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 485 |
| Arizona | 3 | 482 |
| Iowa | 4 | 442 |
| District of Columbia | 3 | 432 |
| Maryland | 1 | 24 |
Florida led the nation with 2,533 workers affected across 25 notices , followed by Ohio (2,165 workers) and New Jersey (1,972 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 49 | 8,472 |
| Finance & Insurance | 19 | 1,989 |
| Transportation | 10 | 1,774 |
| Healthcare | 13 | 1,720 |
| Information & Technology | 14 | 1,633 |
| Retail | 9 | 1,488 |
| Accommodation & Food | 7 | 711 |
| Construction | 2 | 578 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 303 |
| Professional Services | 4 | 286 |
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
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 42 | 5,620 |
| Layoff | 18 | 3,304 |
Closures accounted for 29% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Motor Company Batavia Transmissions | Batavia, Ohio | 782 | |
| Saint-Gobain Vetrotex America | Wichita Falls, Texas | 720 | |
| Macy's | Seattle, Washington | 697 | Layoff |
| ATA Airlines | Chicago, Illinois | 638 | Closure |
| Lehman Brothers | New York, New York | 600 | Layoff |
| Steelcase (inc. Caledonia Wood Plant) | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 550 | Layoff |
| Shaw Infrastructure | Fort Benning, Georgia | 528 | |
| Cargill Meat Solutions (Willow Brook Foods) | Springfield, Missouri | 511 | Closure |
| American Red Cross National Headquarters | Washington, District of Columbia | 408 | Layoff |
| Georgia Pacific | Springhill, Louisiana | 401 |
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.