Employers in Pennsylvania reported 23 WARN Act notices in May 2002, displacing an estimated 3,290 workers — signaling an acceleration from April and up 37% versus May 2001. The average filing covered 143 workers, with 14 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 2 | 653 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 72 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 55 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 50 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 50 |
| Government | 1 | 35 |
The Transportation sector topped the list of affected industries with 653 workers across 2 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 72 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Allegheny | 5 | 1,265 |
| Cumberland | 2 | 464 |
| Fayette | 1 | 309 |
| Blair | 1 | 183 |
| Bedford | 1 | 138 |
Allegheny bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 38% of all affected workers with 1,265 workers across 5 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | 4 | 1,265 |
| Mechanicsburg | 1 | 344 |
| Belle Vernon | 1 | 309 |
| Hollidaysburg | 1 | 183 |
| Saxton | 1 | 138 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 14 | 2,434 |
| Layoff | 9 | 856 |
The high proportion of closures (74% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaufmann's (Central Office) | Pittsburgh | 784 | Closure | 2002-05-01 |
| Kaufmann's (Credit Center) | Pittsburgh | 347 | Closure | 2002-05-01 |
| Bookspan (Distribution Operations) | Mechanicsburg | 344 | Layoff | 2002-05-01 |
| Supervalu Distribution Center | Belle Vernon | 309 | Closure | 2002-05-01 |
| Norfolk Southern Railway Co | Hollidaysburg | 183 | Closure | 2002-05-01 |
| Seton Company, Leather Division | Saxton | 138 | Layoff | 2002-05-01 |
| Communications and Commerce | Indiana | 131 | Closure | 2002-05-01 |
| Lear Corporation (formerly Masland) | Carlisle | 120 | Layoff | 2002-05-01 |
| Keystone Thermometrics | Mt. Jewett | 119 | Closure | 2002-05-01 |
| RHM Teleservices, Inc | Scranton | 110 | Closure | 2002-05-01 |
| Caliber One Management Company and Caliber One Idemnity Company | Yardley | 97 | Closure | 2002-05-01 |
| Diamonique Corporation | Horsham | 96 | Closure | 2002-05-01 |
| Hook Up, Inc | Macungie | 96 | Closure | 2002-05-01 |
| Republic Technologies International (Cold Finished Bar Plant) | Beaver Falls | 72 | Closure | 2002-05-01 |
| Reese Brothers, Inc | Pittsburgh | 68 | Layoff | 2002-05-01 |
The most significant filing came from Kaufmann's (Central Office) at its Pittsburgh facility, reporting 784 affected workers. Kaufmann's (Credit Center) followed with 347 workers.
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the Pennsylvania labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Transportation 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.
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