US Layoffs — April 2013
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 235 WARN Act notices in April 2013, covering approximately 32,208 workers — marking a sharp increase from March and up 29% versus April 2012. Filings came from 30 states and territories, with an average of 137 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 66 | 6,973 |
| New York | 37 | 3,598 |
| Indiana | 8 | 2,877 |
| Illinois | 15 | 2,837 |
| Kentucky | 14 | 2,242 |
| Oregon | 7 | 1,802 |
| Maryland | 5 | 1,172 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 1,161 |
| Washington | 5 | 1,160 |
| Florida | 11 | 1,123 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | 834 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 793 |
| Virginia | 4 | 666 |
| Alabama | 5 | 635 |
| Texas | 9 | 536 |
| Ohio | 3 | 464 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 446 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 444 |
| Michigan | 3 | 390 |
| Missouri | 4 | 377 |
| Georgia | 2 | 338 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 324 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 270 |
| Utah | 1 | 175 |
| Kansas | 2 | 155 |
| Arizona | 1 | 150 |
| Iowa | 2 | 118 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 105 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 43 |
| Maine | 1 | 0 |
California led the nation with 6,973 workers affected across 66 notices , followed by New York (3,598 workers) and Indiana (2,877 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 60 | 7,181 |
| Information & Technology | 25 | 4,029 |
| Accommodation & Food | 21 | 3,186 |
| Transportation | 21 | 3,116 |
| Retail | 15 | 2,825 |
| Finance & Insurance | 16 | 2,669 |
| Agriculture | 10 | 2,045 |
| Professional Services | 13 | 1,748 |
| Education | 14 | 1,536 |
| Utilities | 8 | 952 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 7,181 workers across 60 notices. At the same time, Information & Technology reported 4,029 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 70 | 10,898 |
| Layoff | 45 | 6,041 |
Closures accounted for 34% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lilly USA | Indianapolis, Indiana | 1,624 | |
| Bank of America | Getzville, New York | 1,320 | Closure |
| Boeing | Seattle, Washington | 939 | Layoff |
| AEG Facilities | Los Angeles, Oregon | 900 | Closure |
| Applebee's Neighborhood Grill | Cook County, Illinois | 778 | Closure |
| Century Aluminum of Kentucky GP "Hawesville Smelter" | Hawesville, Kentucky | 693 | Layoff |
| [Unknown - KY] | Hawesville, Kentucky | 693 | Layoff |
| Gargiulo | Somis, California | 677 | |
| Meade Electric | Whiting, Indiana | 569 | |
| Ovations | Portland, Oregon | 539 | Layoff |
Leading the list was Lilly USA in Indianapolis, Indiana, reporting 1,624 affected workers. Bank of America followed with 1,320 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The filings reflect 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 April 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.