US Layoffs — January 2003
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers logged 239 WARN Act notices in January 2003, involving roughly 30,281 workers — falling below December and up 56% versus January 2002. Filings came from 12 states and territories, with an average of 127 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 75 | 8,697 |
| Georgia | 24 | 5,207 |
| Florida | 34 | 3,799 |
| Michigan | 17 | 2,702 |
| Illinois | 15 | 2,261 |
| Pennsylvania | 19 | 1,885 |
| Maryland | 18 | 1,877 |
| Ohio | 11 | 1,180 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 1,072 |
| Alabama | 9 | 769 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 736 |
| Kansas | 9 | 96 |
Texas led the nation with 8,697 workers affected across 75 notices , followed by Georgia (5,207 workers) and Florida (3,799 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 117 | 15,330 |
| Manufacturing | 54 | 5,877 |
| Information & Technology | 20 | 2,575 |
| Finance & Insurance | 10 | 1,721 |
| Healthcare | 5 | 1,127 |
| Professional Services | 9 | 977 |
| Transportation | 7 | 619 |
| Wholesale Trade | 6 | 506 |
| Construction | 2 | 369 |
| Utilities | 1 | 311 |
The Retail sector dominated layoff filings with 15,330 workers across 117 notices. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 5,877 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 57 | 6,868 |
| Layoff | 32 | 3,362 |
Closures accounted for 23% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| JCPenney | Forest Park, Georgia | 1,133 | |
| Teletech | Duluth, Georgia | 602 | |
| Tyson Foods | Stillwell, Oklahoma | 535 | |
| Humana | Jacksonville, Florida | 519 | |
| Temple Continuing Care Center | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 515 | Layoff |
| Bank One International Holdings | Chicago, Illinois | 500 | Layoff |
| GM Detroit Hamtramack Assembly | Detroit, Michigan | 400 | Layoff |
| Kmart Corporation #4915 | Dearborn, Michigan | 358 | Closure |
| M&T Bank (Allfirst) | Baltimore, Maryland | 350 | Layoff |
| Auchan U.S.A | Houston, Texas | 337 |
The biggest impact was at JCPenney in Forest Park, Georgia, reporting 1,133 affected workers. Teletech followed with 602 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This data points to 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 January 2003. 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, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.