US Layoffs — May 2011

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 255 WARN Act notices in May 2011, involving roughly 22,820 workers — climbing above April and up 32% versus May 2010. Filings came from 29 states and territories, with an average of 89 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

California led the nation with 4,793 workers affected across 59 notices , followed by Florida (3,063 workers) and Maryland (1,702 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 7,179 workers across 101 notices. Meanwhile, Information & Technology reported 3,320 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 24% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The biggest impact was at United Space Alliance in Titusville, Florida, reporting 1,942 affected workers. General Dynamics ("Nassco") followed with 900 workers.

Trend & Outlook

This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.

This data points to 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 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.