The US labor market showed continued flux as employers recorded 111 WARN Act notices in February 2003, covering approximately 12,567 workers — marking a decline from January and down 33% versus February 2002. Filings came from 10 states and territories, with an average of 113 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 13 | 2,271 |
| Texas | 26 | 2,217 |
| Michigan | 11 | 1,913 |
| Georgia | 12 | 1,836 |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | 1,568 |
| Kansas | 20 | 1,138 |
| Florida | 5 | 718 |
| Maryland | 6 | 372 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 284 |
| Alabama | 1 | 250 |
Ohio led the nation with 2,271 workers affected across 13 notices , followed by Texas (2,217 workers) and Michigan (1,913 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 9 | 1,503 |
| Manufacturing | 9 | 1,021 |
| Transportation | 3 | 629 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 397 |
| Other | 6 | 372 |
| Retail | 1 | 275 |
| Information & Technology | 10 | 190 |
| Finance & Insurance | 3 | 124 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 0 |
The Healthcare sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 1,503 workers across 9 notices. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 1,021 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 21 | 3,554 |
| Layoff | 22 | 549 |
Closures accounted for 28% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Bosch Corporation | Kentwood, Michigan | 1,350 | Closure |
| Cagle's, Inc | Pine Mountian Vall, Georgia | 622 | |
| Medco Health Solutions of Mechanicsburg (Medco Health) | Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania | 575 | Closure |
| The Menninger Clinic | Topeka, Kansas | 500 | |
| Lexmark | Orlando, Florida | 397 | |
| Goodrich Corporation | Aurora, Ohio | 370 | |
| Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc | Dublin, Georgia | 301 | |
| America West Airlines | Columbus, Ohio | 300 | |
| Spartan Stores, Inc | Maumee, Ohio | 275 | |
| Birds Eye Foods, Inc | Uvalde, Texas | 270 |
Leading the list was Robert Bosch Corporation in Kentwood, Michigan, reporting 1,350 affected workers. Cagle's, Inc followed with 622 workers.
The filings reflect a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Healthcare sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in February 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. Download the full dataset or explore state-by-state data.
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