US Layoffs — June 2008
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 121 WARN Act notices in June 2008, covering approximately 22,613 workers — marking a sharp increase from May and up 52% versus June 2007. Filings came from 19 states and territories, with an average of 187 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 17 | 8,693 |
| New Jersey | 17 | 2,524 |
| Texas | 16 | 2,220 |
| New York | 9 | 1,304 |
| Illinois | 8 | 1,217 |
| Pennsylvania | 6 | 1,138 |
| Maryland | 4 | 1,076 |
| Alabama | 4 | 769 |
| Ohio | 8 | 739 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 693 |
| Michigan | 7 | 611 |
| Iowa | 4 | 604 |
| Missouri | 4 | 467 |
| Arizona | 2 | 205 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 114 |
| Georgia | 2 | 90 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 80 |
| Vermont | 1 | 69 |
| Kansas | 2 | 0 |
Florida led the nation with 8,693 workers affected across 17 notices , followed by New Jersey (2,524 workers) and Texas (2,220 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 43 | 6,128 |
| Retail | 10 | 5,986 |
| Information & Technology | 19 | 3,591 |
| Finance & Insurance | 16 | 2,004 |
| Professional Services | 10 | 1,730 |
| Transportation | 9 | 1,459 |
| Healthcare | 4 | 508 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2 | 316 |
| Accommodation & Food | 3 | 299 |
| Government | 1 | 188 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 6,128 workers across 43 notices. At the same time, Retail reported 5,986 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 33 | 5,009 |
| Layoff | 22 | 2,798 |
Closures accounted for 22% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albertsons | Tallahassee, Florida | 5,131 | |
| Space Gateway Support | Kennedy Space Center, Florida | 1,725 | |
| Russell Corp.., Coosa River Textiles | Wetumpka, Alabama | 550 | Layoff |
| Schering-Plough | Kenilworth, New Jersey | 500 | |
| Geisinger South | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | 451 | Layoff |
| ACS Business Process Solutions - Ft. Worth | Fort Worth, Texas | 450 | |
| Hsbc | Baltimore, Maryland | 445 | Closure |
| Spirit Airlines | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 416 | |
| CWork Wireless | Fort Worth, Texas | 355 | |
| United Airlines | Elk Grove Village, Illinois | 335 | Closure |
Leading the list was Albertsons in Tallahassee, Florida, reporting 5,131 affected workers. Space Gateway Support followed with 1,725 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect 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 June 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 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.