US Layoffs — May 2009
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 489 WARN Act notices in May 2009, putting at risk an estimated 50,075 workers — up substantially from April and up 211% versus May 2008. Filings came from 24 states and territories, with an average of 102 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 185 | 12,370 |
| New York | 65 | 5,553 |
| Indiana | 18 | 5,309 |
| Florida | 25 | 4,013 |
| Ohio | 22 | 3,408 |
| Alabama | 8 | 2,438 |
| Texas | 29 | 2,270 |
| Illinois | 19 | 1,848 |
| Washington | 9 | 1,794 |
| Georgia | 21 | 1,791 |
| Kentucky | 12 | 1,722 |
| Michigan | 13 | 1,697 |
| Pennsylvania | 12 | 1,198 |
| Arizona | 4 | 875 |
| New Jersey | 12 | 746 |
| Kansas | 6 | 743 |
| Louisiana | 9 | 649 |
| Utah | 4 | 359 |
| Missouri | 3 | 345 |
| Maryland | 5 | 331 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 296 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 155 |
| Iowa | 1 | 150 |
| Idaho | 1 | 15 |
California led the nation with 12,370 workers affected across 185 notices , followed by New York (5,553 workers) and Indiana (5,309 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 229 | 26,384 |
| Information & Technology | 45 | 5,386 |
| Retail | 46 | 4,508 |
| Transportation | 22 | 2,857 |
| Finance & Insurance | 46 | 2,270 |
| Accommodation & Food | 7 | 1,556 |
| Healthcare | 17 | 1,306 |
| Professional Services | 19 | 1,033 |
| Mining & Energy | 5 | 1,031 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 8 | 717 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 26,384 workers across 229 notices. Separately, Information & Technology reported 5,386 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 100 | 11,049 |
| Layoff | 52 | 6,600 |
| Temporary Layoff | 1 | 170 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States Steel | Fairfield, Alabama | 1,711 | Closure |
| Macy'S West Central Headquarters | San Francisco, California | 1,503 | |
| Microsoft | Redmond, Washington | 1,200 | Layoff |
| MTA New York City Transit (TA) (and subsidiary, the Manhattan & Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority) | New York, New York | 1,194 | Layoff |
| Caterpillar | Lafayette, Indiana | 985 | |
| ArcelorMittal | East Chicago, Indiana | 978 | |
| ARAMARK Educational Services Duval County Public Schools | Jacksonville, Florida | 894 | |
| Severstal Wheeling | Steubenville, Ohio | 831 | |
| Wabash National | Lafayette, Indiana | 790 | |
| Nabors Well Services | Bakersfield, California | 780 |
Topping the list was United States Steel in Fairfield, Alabama, reporting 1,711 affected workers. Macy'S West Central Headquarters followed with 1,503 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 May 2009. 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.