US Layoffs — October 2009

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 269 WARN Act notices in October 2009, impacting roughly 24,090 workers — representing a notable rise over September and down 31% versus October 2008. Filings came from 24 states and territories, with an average of 90 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 4,375 workers affected across 110 notices , followed by New Jersey (3,935 workers) and New York (2,428 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 7,776 workers across 104 notices. In a parallel development, Accommodation & Food reported 3,649 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 29% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The single largest action involved Aramark Sports in E. Rutherford, New Jersey, reporting 1,689 affected workers. Upmc followed with 654 workers.

Trend & Outlook

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

The data underscores a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in October 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 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.