US Layoffs — February 2011

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 215 WARN Act notices in February 2011, impacting roughly 21,595 workers — representing a notable rise over January and up 5% versus February 2010. Filings came from 26 states and territories, with an average of 100 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

New York led the nation with 3,224 workers affected across 41 notices , followed by California (2,946 workers) and Texas (2,165 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 5,014 workers across 53 notices. In a parallel development, Retail reported 4,632 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 26% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The single largest action involved Wilmington Trust/M&T Bank in Wilmington, Delaware, reporting 721 affected workers. Blockbuster Inc. - McKinney Distribution Center followed with 627 workers.

Trend & Outlook

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

The data underscores 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 February 2011. 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.