US Layoffs — July 2011
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 254 WARN Act notices in July 2011, affecting an estimated 20,094 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to June and down 12% versus July 2010. Filings came from 27 states and territories, with an average of 79 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 68 | 4,229 |
| Florida | 17 | 2,627 |
| Texas | 27 | 1,942 |
| Illinois | 10 | 1,870 |
| Ohio | 5 | 1,592 |
| Georgia | 7 | 1,244 |
| New York | 49 | 1,090 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 1,037 |
| Washington | 2 | 891 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 449 |
| Maryland | 11 | 428 |
| Arizona | 4 | 397 |
| Iowa | 4 | 372 |
| Indiana | 4 | 325 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 310 |
| Oregon | 2 | 250 |
| Mississippi | 6 | 224 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 214 |
| Utah | 3 | 136 |
| Alabama | 2 | 118 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 90 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 84 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 72 |
| Michigan | 1 | 58 |
| Virginia | 2 | 24 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 21 |
| Kansas | 6 | 0 |
California led the nation with 4,229 workers affected across 68 notices , followed by Florida (2,627 workers) and Texas (1,942 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 77 | 5,178 |
| Information & Technology | 27 | 4,815 |
| Healthcare | 18 | 2,417 |
| Transportation | 13 | 1,609 |
| Accommodation & Food | 8 | 1,092 |
| Finance & Insurance | 15 | 1,020 |
| Retail | 42 | 909 |
| Professional Services | 22 | 845 |
| Construction | 5 | 462 |
| Wholesale Trade | 5 | 324 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 5,178 workers across 77 notices. On a related front, Information & Technology reported 4,815 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 40 | 3,332 |
| Closure | 59 | 2,362 |
Closures accounted for 12% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olin | East Alton, Illinois | 836 | Layoff |
| CH2MHill Plateau Remediation | Richland, Washington | 750 | Layoff |
| Oacaa & Opae | Columbus, Ohio | 700 | |
| BAX Global | Swanton, Ohio | 652 | |
| Vila & Son Landscaping | Miami, Florida | 641 | |
| Pilgrim's Pride - Dallas3 | Dallas, Texas | 508 | |
| Sun-Times Media | Chicago, Illinois | 456 | Closure |
| Csc Applied Technology Group | Savannah, Georgia | 444 | |
| State Farm Insurance | Rohnert Park, California | 438 | |
| Athna Facility Services, Inc. - AFSI | Fort Sam Houston, Texas | 434 |
The largest notice was filed by Olin in East Alton, Illinois, reporting 836 affected workers. CH2MHill Plateau Remediation followed with 750 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest 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 July 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.