The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 130 WARN Act notices in December 2002, covering approximately 15,298 workers — marking a sharp increase from November and down 13% versus December 2001. Filings came from 9 states and territories, with an average of 118 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 42 | 4,969 |
| Florida | 21 | 2,655 |
| Kansas | 12 | 1,787 |
| Pennsylvania | 19 | 1,773 |
| Alabama | 4 | 1,023 |
| Georgia | 10 | 940 |
| Ohio | 11 | 915 |
| Maryland | 5 | 870 |
| Michigan | 6 | 366 |
Texas led the nation with 4,969 workers affected across 42 notices , followed by Florida (2,655 workers) and Kansas (1,787 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 17 | 1,998 |
| Manufacturing | 13 | 1,884 |
| Other | 7 | 927 |
| Utilities | 8 | 778 |
| Finance & Insurance | 3 | 356 |
| Admin & Support Services | 2 | 248 |
| Healthcare | 4 | 216 |
| Retail | 2 | 195 |
| Real Estate | 1 | 91 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 60 |
The Transportation sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 1,998 workers across 17 notices. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 1,884 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 20 | 2,720 |
| Layoff | 20 | 1,312 |
Closures accounted for 18% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna | Wichita, Kansas | 1,500 | |
| Black & Decker | Easton, Maryland | 800 | Closure |
| Tyson Foods, Inc | Jacksonville, Florida | 737 | |
| Opp & Micolas Mills (Johnston Industries) | Opp, Alabama | 647 | Closure |
| Sun Apparel | El Paso, Texas | 450 | |
| Sara Lee Underwear (J.E. Morgan Knitting Mill) [Textile Operations] | Tamaqua, Pennsylvania | 420 | Layoff |
| American Airlines - Dallas | Dallas, Texas | 415 | |
| US Airways Orlando Reservation Center | Orlando, Florida | 353 | |
| US Airways - Tampa Heavy Maintenance | Tampa, Florida | 317 | |
| UBS Warburg Energy LLC | Houston, Texas | 304 |
Leading the list was Cessna in Wichita, Kansas, reporting 1,500 affected workers. Black & Decker followed with 800 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Transportation sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in December 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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