Pennsylvania Layoffs — September 2002
Employers in Pennsylvania filed 16 WARN Act notices in September 2002, impacting roughly 2,561 workers — representing a pullback from August and down 50% versus September 2001. The average filing covered 160 workers, with 10 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 3 | 1,451 |
| Manufacturing | 7 | 545 |
| Retail | 3 | 251 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 176 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 120 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 18 |
The Transportation sector led the way in workforce reductions with 1,451 workers across 3 notices. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 545 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 2 | 1,542 |
| Monroe | 2 | 177 |
| Dauphin | 1 | 176 |
| Elk | 1 | 174 |
| Allegheny | 1 | 120 |
Philadelphia bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 60% of all affected workers with 1,542 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 2 | 1,542 |
| Harrisburg | 1 | 176 |
| St. Mary's | 1 | 174 |
| East Stroudsburg | 1 | 152 |
| Pittsburgh | 1 | 120 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 10 | 2,159 |
| Layoff | 6 | 402 |
The high proportion of closures (84% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated Freightways | Philadelphia | 1,351 | Closure | |
| JCPenney | Philadelphia | 191 | Closure | |
| Ingram Micro, Inc. (Branch 89) | Harrisburg | 176 | Layoff | |
| Carbide/Graphite Group | St. Mary's | 174 | Closure | |
| Cooper Industries | East Stroudsburg | 152 | Closure | |
| Eichleay Engineers | Pittsburgh | 120 | Closure | |
| Carrier Transport Air Conditioning | York | 85 | Layoff | |
| Flowserve | Williamsport | 78 | Layoff | |
| Yoder Brothers, Inc. Homer City Plant | Blairsville | 65 | Closure | |
| Streamline Fashions Manufacturing, Inc. (Chester Hill facility) | Philipsburg | 45 | Closure | |
| Phar-Mor | Altoona | 35 | Closure | |
| Tobyhanna Army Depot | Tobyhanna | 25 | Layoff | |
| Agere Systems | Allentown | 20 | Layoff | |
| Academy Life Insurance | Frazer | 18 | Layoff | |
| Sather Trucking | Pittston | 15 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Consolidated Freightways at its Philadelphia facility, reporting 1,351 affected workers. JCPenney followed with 191 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores a easing in workforce disruptions across Pennsylvania, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. 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.