US Layoffs — September 1999
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 51 WARN Act notices in September 1999, putting at risk an estimated 6,601 workers — up substantially from August and up 175% versus September 1998. Filings came from 6 states and territories, with an average of 129 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 12 | 2,117 |
| Texas | 16 | 1,920 |
| Alabama | 8 | 1,228 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 945 |
| Florida | 5 | 391 |
| Kansas | 2 | 0 |
Ohio led the nation with 2,117 workers affected across 12 notices , followed by Texas (1,920 workers) and Alabama (1,228 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 17 | 2,823 |
| Construction | 10 | 883 |
| Retail | 5 | 733 |
| Mining & Energy | 5 | 661 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 378 |
| Accommodation & Food | 2 | 300 |
| Utilities | 2 | 104 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 80 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 80 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 53 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 2,823 workers across 17 notices. Separately, Construction reported 883 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 12 | 1,472 |
| Layoff | 5 | 653 |
| Relocation | 1 | 48 |
Closures accounted for 22% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Cleveland, Ohio | 280 | |
| GKN Sinter Metals | Van Wert, Ohio | 275 | |
| Alphabet | Kent, Ohio | 267 | |
| Hechinger | Cincinnati, Ohio | 256 | |
| Hechinger Inv | Louisville, Kentucky | 227 | Closure |
Topping the list was Raytheon Systems Co. - Richardson in Richardson, Texas, reporting 390 affected workers. Drummond Company-Shoal Creek followed with 350 workers.
Trend & Outlook
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, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.