The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 52 WARN Act notices in May 1999, involving roughly 7,558 workers — climbing above April and up 104% versus May 1998. Filings came from 6 states and territories, with an average of 145 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 19 | 2,091 |
| Alabama | 5 | 1,697 |
| Kentucky | 12 | 1,408 |
| Ohio | 8 | 1,256 |
| Florida | 6 | 1,041 |
| Kansas | 2 | 65 |
Texas led the nation with 2,091 workers affected across 19 notices , followed by Alabama (1,697 workers) and Kentucky (1,408 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 6 | 1,036 |
| Retail | 2 | 690 |
| Manufacturing | 6 | 681 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 629 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 8 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 4 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 1 |
| Transportation | 1 | 0 |
The Healthcare sector dominated layoff filings with 1,036 workers across 6 notices. Meanwhile, Retail reported 690 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 7 | 1,965 |
| Layoff | 11 | 1,140 |
Closures accounted for 26% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| S & C Beef Processors, L.L.C | Montgomery, Alabama | 650 | Layoff |
| London International Group, LLC | Dothan, Alabama | 500 | Closure |
| Vanity Fair | Milton, Florida | 495 | |
| Pilkington Libbey-Owens-Ford | Sherman, Texas | 490 | |
| Alliance Data Systems | Dallas, Texas | 489 | |
| TicketMaster | Columbus, Ohio | 320 | |
| Saint Luke's Medical Center | Cleveland, Ohio | 320 | |
| Equitable Bag Co., Inc | Kentucky | 320 | Closure |
| Equitable Bag Co., Inc | Kentucky | 320 | Closure |
| Russell Corporation-Greenville | Greenville, Alabama | 252 | Closure |
The biggest impact was at S & C Beef Processors, L.L.C in Montgomery, Alabama, reporting 650 affected workers. London International Group, LLC followed with 500 workers.
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 Healthcare sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in May 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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