The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 70 WARN Act notices in November 1998, affecting an estimated 11,052 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to October and up 733% versus November 1997. Filings came from 5 states and territories, with an average of 158 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 27 | 3,416 |
| Alabama | 4 | 2,055 |
| Kentucky | 14 | 1,990 |
| Kansas | 12 | 1,965 |
| Ohio | 13 | 1,626 |
Florida led the nation with 3,416 workers affected across 27 notices , followed by Alabama (2,055 workers) and Kentucky (1,990 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5 | 2,240 |
| Accommodation & Food | 8 | 804 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 734 |
| Construction | 4 | 455 |
| Mining & Energy | 3 | 351 |
| Retail | 1 | 162 |
| Finance & Insurance | 2 | 157 |
| Transportation | 1 | 49 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 2,240 workers across 5 notices. On a related front, Accommodation & Food reported 804 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 14 | 3,495 |
| Layoff | 7 | 550 |
Closures accounted for 32% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reynolds Metals Company | Muscle Shoals, Alabama | 1,600 | Closure |
| Boeing Co | Wichita, Kansas | 407 | |
| Boeing Co | Wichita, Kansas | 404 | |
| Harry M. Stevens, Inc. (STEVENS) | Hallandale, Florida | 395 | |
| Verando Nursing & Rehab. Center | Orlando, Florida | 367 | |
| Veranda Nursing & Rehab Center | Orlando, Florida | 367 | |
| Rust Constructors, Inc | Decatur, Alabama | 282 | Closure |
| Boeing Co | Wichita, Kansas | 281 | |
| Boeing Co | Wichita, Kansas | 249 | |
| Boeing Co | Wichita, Kansas | 236 |
The largest notice was filed by Reynolds Metals Company in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, reporting 1,600 affected workers. Boeing Co followed with 407 workers.
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
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 November 1998. 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 WARN Firehose. Download the full dataset or explore state-by-state data.
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