The US labor market showed continued flux as employers reported 53 WARN Act notices in October 1999, displacing an estimated 7,428 workers — signaling a deceleration from September and up 55% versus October 1998. Filings came from 6 states and territories, with an average of 140 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 10 | 1,950 |
| Florida | 11 | 1,916 |
| Ohio | 11 | 1,406 |
| Texas | 14 | 1,151 |
| Alabama | 1 | 594 |
| Kansas | 6 | 411 |
Kentucky led the nation with 1,950 workers affected across 10 notices , followed by Florida (1,916 workers) and Ohio (1,406 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 7 | 1,078 |
| Manufacturing | 9 | 983 |
| Information & Technology | 3 | 310 |
| Mining & Energy | 3 | 182 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 160 |
| Retail | 1 | 45 |
The Healthcare sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,078 workers across 7 notices. Notably, Manufacturing reported 983 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 9 | 1,684 |
| Layoff | 5 | 860 |
Closures accounted for 23% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palms of Pasadena Hospital | St. Petersburg, Florida | 900 | |
| Just For Feet | Birmingham, Alabama | 594 | Closure |
| Tecumseh Products Co | Kentucky | 430 | Layoff |
| Tecumseh Products Co | Kentucky | 430 | Layoff |
| Gilchrist Molding Center, Inc | Mogadore, Ohio | 319 | |
| Boeing | Wichita, Kansas | 285 | |
| Decker Food Company | Garland, Texas | 284 | |
| Turbine Engine Components Textron | Orlando, Florida | 240 | |
| Levi Strauss & Co | Kentucky | 226 | Closure |
| Levi Strauss & Co | Kentucky | 226 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Palms of Pasadena Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, reporting 900 affected workers. Just For Feet followed with 594 workers.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Healthcare sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in October 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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