The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 107 WARN Act notices in July 2002, affecting an estimated 13,636 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to June and down 46% versus July 2001. Filings came from 10 states and territories, with an average of 127 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 13 | 2,686 |
| Texas | 10 | 2,669 |
| Pennsylvania | 26 | 1,726 |
| Kansas | 12 | 1,471 |
| Maryland | 7 | 1,147 |
| Oklahoma | 10 | 1,118 |
| Georgia | 11 | 903 |
| Florida | 8 | 780 |
| Alabama | 5 | 747 |
| Michigan | 5 | 389 |
Ohio led the nation with 2,686 workers affected across 13 notices , followed by Texas (2,669 workers) and Pennsylvania (1,726 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 8 | 1,439 |
| Transportation | 3 | 1,197 |
| Other | 7 | 1,147 |
| Finance & Insurance | 7 | 437 |
| Retail | 4 | 332 |
| Information & Technology | 3 | 332 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 236 |
| Admin & Support Services | 1 | 85 |
| Healthcare | 8 | 62 |
| Government | 1 | 23 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 1,439 workers across 8 notices. On a related front, Transportation reported 1,197 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 26 | 2,561 |
| Layoff | 23 | 1,448 |
Closures accounted for 19% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Airlines | Kansas City, Kansas | 1,098 | |
| Celestica | Columbus, Ohio | 930 | |
| Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company - Weslaco | Weslaco, Texas | 672 | |
| WorldCom | Hunt Valley, Maryland | 656 | Layoff |
| Spherion Atlantic Enterprises LLC | Nederland, Texas | 600 | |
| Alcatel USA, Inc. - Plano | Plano, Texas | 352 | |
| Huntleigh USA Corporation | Houston, Texas | 348 | |
| Liz Clairborne, Inc | Montgomery, Alabama | 341 | Closure |
| Atmel Corporation | Irving, Texas | 297 | |
| Cap City Fine Diner and Bar | Homestead, Pennsylvania | 281 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by Vanguard Airlines in Kansas City, Kansas, reporting 1,098 affected workers. Celestica followed with 930 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in July 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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