US Layoffs — September 2012
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 221 WARN Act notices in September 2012, affecting an estimated 26,185 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to August and up 42% versus September 2011. Filings came from 29 states and territories, with an average of 118 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 54 | 5,563 |
| Texas | 13 | 3,584 |
| New York | 24 | 2,970 |
| Florida | 10 | 2,568 |
| New Jersey | 9 | 1,774 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 1,589 |
| Indiana | 5 | 787 |
| Illinois | 6 | 661 |
| Kentucky | 5 | 618 |
| Virginia | 5 | 595 |
| Mississippi | 8 | 545 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 515 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 498 |
| Iowa | 3 | 471 |
| Washington | 3 | 447 |
| Oregon | 4 | 441 |
| South Carolina | 8 | 371 |
| Missouri | 9 | 329 |
| Maryland | 3 | 300 |
| Tennessee | 14 | 256 |
| Alabama | 1 | 250 |
| Georgia | 5 | 238 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 197 |
| Ohio | 1 | 160 |
| Michigan | 2 | 155 |
| Washington DC | 2 | 144 |
| Arizona | 1 | 84 |
| Utah | 1 | 75 |
| Kansas | 6 | 0 |
California led the nation with 5,563 workers affected across 54 notices , followed by Texas (3,584 workers) and New York (2,970 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 70 | 8,507 |
| Transportation | 33 | 7,146 |
| Information & Technology | 25 | 2,018 |
| Finance & Insurance | 10 | 1,638 |
| Retail | 26 | 1,402 |
| Professional Services | 15 | 1,274 |
| Healthcare | 11 | 1,031 |
| Accommodation & Food | 6 | 810 |
| Utilities | 3 | 280 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2 | 222 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 8,507 workers across 70 notices. On a related front, Transportation reported 7,146 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 55 | 4,753 |
| Closure | 48 | 4,015 |
Closures accounted for 15% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | Miami, Florida | 1,414 | |
| American Airlines | Fort Worth, Texas | 1,403 | |
| American Airlines - Dallas | Dallas, Texas | 1,325 | |
| Del Monte Foods | Kingsburg, California | 1,089 | |
| Hoffman-La Roche (Roche) | Nutley, New Jersey | 1,000 | |
| Capital One Services | Salinas, California | 869 | |
| American Airlines | Jamaica, New York | 843 | Layoff |
| Hostess Brands | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 683 | |
| Walgreens | Oklahoma | 435 | |
| Siemens | Fort Madison, Iowa | 407 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by American Airlines in Miami, Florida, reporting 1,414 affected workers. American Airlines followed with 1,403 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest 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 September 2012. 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.