The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 71 WARN Act notices in March 1999, putting at risk an estimated 9,402 workers — up substantially from February and up 94% versus March 1998. Filings came from 6 states and territories, with an average of 132 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 10 | 2,508 |
| Ohio | 19 | 2,248 |
| Texas | 23 | 1,833 |
| Alabama | 10 | 1,539 |
| Florida | 7 | 1,188 |
| Kansas | 2 | 86 |
Kentucky led the nation with 2,508 workers affected across 10 notices , followed by Ohio (2,248 workers) and Texas (1,833 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 11 | 1,582 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 1,166 |
| Retail | 7 | 363 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 294 |
| Transportation | 2 | 202 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 178 |
| Government | 1 | 85 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 70 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 1,582 workers across 11 notices. Separately, Information & Technology reported 1,166 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 15 | 3,630 |
| Layoff | 6 | 417 |
Closures accounted for 39% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talisman Sugar Corporation | Belle Glade, Florida | 700 | |
| TechnoTrim, Inc | Kentucky | 583 | Closure |
| TechnoTrim, Inc | Kentucky | 583 | Closure |
| Oneita Industries, Inc | Fayette, Alabama | 355 | Closure |
| FMC Corporation | Stephenville, Texas | 350 | |
| Oneita Industries, Inc | Cullman, Alabama | 311 | Closure |
| Cabletron Systems | Ironton, Ohio | 309 | |
| Iowa Beef Processors (IBP) | Palestine, Texas | 287 | |
| Reform Manufacturing Company | Reform, Alabama | 269 | Closure |
| The J. Peterman Company | Kentucky | 230 | Closure |
Topping the list was Talisman Sugar Corporation in Belle Glade, Florida, reporting 700 affected workers. TechnoTrim, Inc followed with 583 workers.
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
These figures highlight 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 1999. 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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