The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 62 WARN Act notices in September 1999, putting at risk an estimated 8,298 workers — up substantially from August and up 270% versus September 1998. Filings came from 6 states and territories, with an average of 134 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 13 | 2,311 |
| Texas | 16 | 1,920 |
| Kentucky | 16 | 1,890 |
| Alabama | 8 | 1,228 |
| Kansas | 4 | 558 |
| Florida | 5 | 391 |
Ohio led the nation with 2,311 workers affected across 13 notices , followed by Texas (1,920 workers) and Kentucky (1,890 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7 | 1,206 |
| Construction | 10 | 843 |
| Mining & Energy | 6 | 292 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 280 |
| Utilities | 2 | 104 |
| Retail | 2 | 89 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 78 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 53 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 1,206 workers across 7 notices. Separately, Construction reported 843 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 18 | 2,363 |
| Layoff | 6 | 659 |
| Relocation | 1 | 48 |
Closures accounted for 28% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing Company | Wichita, Kansas | 428 | |
| Raytheon Systems Co. - Richardson | Richardson, Texas | 390 | |
| Drummond Company-Shoal Creek | Adger, Alabama | 350 | Layoff |
| Hechinger | Columbus, Ohio | 330 | |
| Wackenhut Corrections | Austin, Texas | 300 | |
| Russell Corp.. Brundidge | Brundidge, Alabama | 297 | Layoff |
| Bolton Square Hotel Co | Cleveland, Ohio | 280 | |
| GKN Sinter Metals | Van Wert, Ohio | 275 | |
| Alphabet | Kent, Ohio | 267 | |
| Hechinger | Cincinnati, Ohio | 256 |
Topping the list was Boeing Company in Wichita, Kansas, reporting 428 affected workers. Raytheon Systems Co. - Richardson followed with 390 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 September 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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