US Layoffs — April 2011

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 220 WARN Act notices in April 2011, displacing an estimated 20,987 workers — signaling an acceleration from March and down 19% versus April 2010. Filings came from 24 states and territories, with an average of 95 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 4,458 workers affected across 64 notices , followed by New York (2,826 workers) and Pennsylvania (2,614 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 5,318 workers across 71 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 2,287 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 21% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The most significant filing came from Community General Hospital in Syracuse, New York, reporting 1,018 affected workers. New Jersey Sports and Entertainment Authority followed with 900 workers.

Trend & Outlook

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

The numbers illustrate 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 April 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.