US Layoffs — March 2002
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 218 WARN Act notices in March 2002, putting at risk an estimated 22,252 workers — up substantially from February and up 16% versus March 2001. Filings came from 11 states and territories, with an average of 102 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 55 | 4,671 |
| Pennsylvania | 26 | 4,316 |
| Illinois | 31 | 3,435 |
| Michigan | 28 | 2,236 |
| Ohio | 15 | 1,910 |
| Georgia | 19 | 1,818 |
| Florida | 15 | 1,304 |
| Maryland | 10 | 1,300 |
| Alabama | 9 | 764 |
| Oklahoma | 6 | 498 |
| Kansas | 4 | 0 |
Texas led the nation with 4,671 workers affected across 55 notices , followed by Pennsylvania (4,316 workers) and Illinois (3,435 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 110 | 9,799 |
| Manufacturing | 58 | 7,622 |
| Finance & Insurance | 5 | 1,137 |
| Information & Technology | 16 | 1,107 |
| Transportation | 5 | 667 |
| Professional Services | 8 | 603 |
| Real Estate | 6 | 460 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 132 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 119 |
| Government | 1 | 96 |
The Retail sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 9,799 workers across 110 notices. Separately, Manufacturing reported 7,622 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 90 | 9,896 |
| Layoff | 15 | 1,654 |
Closures accounted for 44% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dollarland | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1,700 | Closure |
| US Airways | Linthicum, Maryland | 457 | Layoff |
| Wachovia Corporation [First Union National Bank (Spring Ridge site)] | Wyomissing, Pennsylvania | 377 | Layoff |
| Conseco Medical Insurance | Rockford, Illinois | 356 | Closure |
| Chilpaco Mills | Chillicothe, Ohio | 343 | |
| Herman Miller | Holland, Michigan | 317 | Closure |
| Premcor Blue Island Refinery | Hartford, Illinois | 317 | Closure |
| Ofs Fitel | Norcross, Georgia | 300 | |
| The JPM | Lewisburg, Pennsylvania | 287 | |
| DrawTite | Canton, Michigan | 268 | Closure |
Topping the list was Dollarland in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reporting 1,700 affected workers. US Airways followed with 457 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in March 2002. 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.