The US labor market showed continued flux as employers reported 42 WARN Act notices in April 1999, displacing an estimated 5,324 workers — signaling a deceleration from March and up 490% versus April 1998. Filings came from 6 states and territories, with an average of 127 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 13 | 1,725 |
| Florida | 12 | 1,083 |
| Alabama | 3 | 827 |
| Texas | 6 | 712 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 628 |
| Kansas | 4 | 349 |
Ohio led the nation with 1,725 workers affected across 13 notices , followed by Florida (1,083 workers) and Alabama (827 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 2 | 1,186 |
| Finance & Insurance | 6 | 733 |
| Manufacturing | 6 | 720 |
| Admin & Support Services | 2 | 151 |
| Utilities | 1 | 85 |
| Agriculture | 2 | 77 |
| Retail | 1 | 75 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 75 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 17 |
| Transportation | 1 | 0 |
The Information & Technology sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,186 workers across 2 notices. Notably, Finance & Insurance reported 733 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 6 | 955 |
| Layoff | 3 | 500 |
Closures accounted for 18% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic Data Systems Corporation | Plano, Texas | 611 | |
| BWX Technologies | Barberton, Ohio | 575 | |
| Kimberly-Clark | Mobile, Alabama | 500 | Layoff |
| All Lock Company Inc | Selma, Alabama | 315 | Closure |
| SAI Automotive | Kansas City, Kansas | 275 | |
| Unisys | Tallahassee, Florida | 240 | |
| Batesville Casket Company | Kentucky | 212 | Closure |
| Batesville Casket Company | Kentucky | 212 | Closure |
| Greenfield Industries | Solon, Ohio | 174 | |
| Taylor Farms | South Bay, Florida | 150 |
The most significant filing came from Electronic Data Systems Corporation in Plano, Texas, reporting 611 affected workers. BWX Technologies followed with 575 workers.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Information & Technology sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in April 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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