The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 124 WARN Act notices in April 2002, displacing an estimated 19,687 workers — signaling an acceleration from March and down 19% versus April 2001. Filings came from 10 states and territories, with an average of 159 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 42 | 6,624 |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | 2,834 |
| Florida | 15 | 2,067 |
| Ohio | 12 | 2,033 |
| Georgia | 11 | 1,679 |
| Maryland | 6 | 1,590 |
| Kansas | 4 | 972 |
| Oklahoma | 8 | 662 |
| Michigan | 7 | 620 |
| Alabama | 4 | 606 |
Texas led the nation with 6,624 workers affected across 42 notices , followed by Pennsylvania (2,834 workers) and Florida (2,067 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 2 | 1,781 |
| Manufacturing | 15 | 1,751 |
| Other | 6 | 1,590 |
| Information & Technology | 8 | 754 |
| Finance & Insurance | 3 | 457 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 453 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 420 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 390 |
| Education | 4 | 267 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 156 |
The Retail sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,781 workers across 2 notices. Notably, Manufacturing reported 1,751 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 22 | 3,944 |
| Layoff | 12 | 1,706 |
Closures accounted for 20% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dollarland, Incorporated | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1,700 | Closure |
| US Airways | Linthicum, Maryland | 927 | Layoff |
| Ford Motor Company | Avon Lake, Ohio | 876 | |
| Levi Strauss & Company - El Paso | El Paso, Texas | 758 | |
| Boeing Company | Wichita, Kansas | 652 | |
| Levi Strauss & Company - Brownsville | Brownsville, Texas | 643 | |
| Nokia - Tarrant | Ft. Worth, Texas | 553 | |
| Levi Strauss & Company - San Benito | San Benito, Texas | 481 | |
| Portex, Inc | Fort Myers, Florida | 415 | |
| Emory Parkway Medical Center | Lithia Springs, Georgia | 402 |
The most significant filing came from Dollarland, Incorporated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reporting 1,700 affected workers. US Airways followed with 927 workers.
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in April 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. Download the full dataset or explore state-by-state data.
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