US Layoffs — September 2008

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 154 WARN Act notices in September 2008, putting at risk an estimated 22,118 workers — up substantially from August and up 41% versus September 2007. Filings came from 19 states and territories, with an average of 144 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

Georgia led the nation with 3,006 workers affected across 20 notices , followed by New Jersey (2,718 workers) and Illinois (2,557 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 9,229 workers across 57 notices. Separately, Information & Technology reported 3,620 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 34% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

Topping the list was Newark Morning Ledger in Newark, New Jersey, reporting 1,657 affected workers. Ford Motor Company followed with 792 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 September 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.