The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 37 WARN Act notices in August 1999, impacting roughly 5,309 workers — representing a notable rise over July and up 74% versus August 1998. Filings came from 5 states and territories, with an average of 143 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 4 | 1,358 |
| Texas | 12 | 1,245 |
| Ohio | 9 | 1,149 |
| Alabama | 5 | 939 |
| Florida | 7 | 618 |
Kentucky led the nation with 1,358 workers affected across 4 notices , followed by Texas (1,245 workers) and Ohio (1,149 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 4 | 396 |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 363 |
| Finance & Insurance | 3 | 172 |
| Retail | 1 | 157 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 116 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 105 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 65 |
| Transportation | 1 | 46 |
The Healthcare sector led the way in workforce reductions with 396 workers across 4 notices. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 363 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 6 | 1,696 |
| Layoff | 3 | 601 |
Closures accounted for 32% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| CompuCom Systems | Kentucky | 370 | Closure |
| CompuCom Systems | Kentucky | 370 | Closure |
| Nine West (Vanceburg and Hebron) | Kentucky | 309 | Closure |
| Nine West (Vanceburg and Hebron) | Kentucky | 309 | Closure |
| ASW Services | Akron, Ohio | 275 | |
| Cluett, Peabody & Co.., Inc | Enterprise, Alabama | 273 | Closure |
| Sony Magnetic Products, Inc | Dothan, Alabama | 250 | Layoff |
| Oakwood Homes Corporation | Ennis, Texas | 200 | |
| Medpartners | Birmingham, Alabama | 200 | Layoff |
| Nocona Boot Company | Nocona, Texas | 180 |
The single largest action involved CompuCom Systems in Kentucky, reporting 370 affected workers. CompuCom Systems followed with 370 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores 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 August 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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