Pennsylvania Layoffs — February 2002
Employers in Pennsylvania posted 21 WARN Act notices in February 2002, affecting an estimated 1,900 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to January and up 8% versus February 2001. The average filing covered 90 workers, with 16 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5 | 551 |
| Retail | 7 | 422 |
| Finance & Insurance | 3 | 382 |
| Transportation | 3 | 318 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 118 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 109 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 551 workers across 5 notices. On a related front, Retail reported 422 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Allegheny | 4 | 581 |
| Lebanon | 1 | 228 |
| Northumberland | 1 | 145 |
| Armstrong | 1 | 109 |
| Lancaster | 1 | 100 |
Allegheny felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 31% of all affected workers with 581 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | 3 | 531 |
| Lebanon | 1 | 228 |
| Shamokin | 1 | 145 |
| Kittanning | 1 | 109 |
| Lancaster | 1 | 100 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 16 | 1,256 |
| Layoff | 5 | 644 |
The high proportion of closures (66% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mellon Bank | Pittsburgh | 268 | Layoff | |
| Alcoa Mill Products | Lebanon | 228 | Closure | |
| Eckerd Corporation (Pittsburgh Distribution Center and Uniontown Reclamation Center) | Pittsburgh | 175 | Layoff | |
| Levolor Kirsch Window Fashions | Shamokin | 145 | Closure | |
| ALLTEL Communications | Kittanning | 109 | Closure | |
| Ames Department Stores | Lancaster | 100 | Closure | |
| Foodland | Washington | 100 | Closure | |
| APA Transport | Philadelphia | 93 | Closure | |
| Sidney Square Care Center | Pittsburgh | 88 | Closure | |
| Ames Department Stores, Inc. Valley Forge Mall | Phoenixville | 74 | Layoff | |
| PHICO Insurance | Mechanicsburg | 64 | Layoff | |
| American Meter | Erie | 63 | Layoff | |
| Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics | Reading | 60 | Closure | |
| Tyco Flow Control | Lansdale | 55 | Closure | |
| Allstate Insurance Company (North Hills Market Claim Office) | Warrendale | 50 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Mellon Bank at its Pittsburgh facility, reporting 268 affected workers. Alcoa Mill Products followed with 228 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The trends suggest a mixed picture for Pennsylvania's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Pennsylvania. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all Pennsylvania WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.