US Layoffs — March 2013

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 289 WARN Act notices in March 2013, involving roughly 29,104 workers — climbing above February and up 15% versus March 2012. Filings came from 31 states and territories, with an average of 101 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

New York led the nation with 6,126 workers affected across 70 notices , followed by California (4,039 workers) and Tennessee (1,954 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 5,914 workers across 72 notices. Meanwhile, Transportation reported 4,755 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 37% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The biggest impact was at SUNY Downstate Medical Center at LICH - StaffCo of Brooklyn in Brooklyn, New York, reporting 1,714 affected workers. The Scooter Store followed with 993 workers.

Trend & Outlook

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

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 March 2013. 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.