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US Layoffs — March 2010

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 237 WARN Act notices in March 2010, involving roughly 22,601 workers — climbing above February and down 57% versus March 2009. Filings came from 23 states and territories, with an average of 95 workers per notice.

237
Total Notices
22,601
Workers Affected
23
States Reporting
95
Avg per Notice
48
Closures

Top States by Workers Affected

State-by-state layoff summary
StateNoticesWorkers
California924,625
New York322,862
Kentucky62,092
Texas222,005
Ohio141,798
Illinois101,296
Pennsylvania81,260
Florida71,118
Kansas51,014
Maryland6862
New Jersey9723
Washington4543
Oregon1450
Indiana3405
Georgia5388
Oklahoma1335
Missouri3233
Iowa2152
Alabama2142
Alaska1109
South Dakota284
New Hampshire166
Louisiana139

California led the nation with 4,625 workers affected across 92 notices , followed by New York (2,862 workers) and Kentucky (2,092 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

Industry breakdown
IndustryNoticesWorkers
Manufacturing946,545
Transportation183,072
Retail222,175
Healthcare131,928
Finance & Insurance121,627
Information & Technology171,181
Education21,145
Wholesale Trade6847
Professional Services19827
Government5604

The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 6,545 workers across 94 notices. Meanwhile, Transportation reported 3,072 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Layoff types breakdown
TypeNoticesWorkers
Closure486,856
Layoff324,116

Closures accounted for 30% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

Largest layoff notices
CompanyLocationWorkersType
Regional Elite Airline ServicesCincinnati, Kentucky839Closure
[Unknown - KY]Hebron, Kentucky839Closure
Durham School ServicesAndover, Kansas818Layoff
Spring Branch Medical CenterHouston, Texas720
MTA New York City Transit (TA) (and subsidiary, the Manhattan & Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority)New York, New York600Layoff
Jackson Health SystemMiami, Florida548
Silver EaglePortland, Oregon450Closure
Pan American MortgageChicago, Illinois443Closure
Owens IllinoisClarion, Pennsylvania402Closure
KaryleionHuntington Park, California348

The biggest impact was at Regional Elite Airline Services in Cincinnati, Kentucky, reporting 839 affected workers. [Unknown - KY] followed with 839 workers.

Trend & Outlook

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

This data points to 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 March 2010. 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.

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