The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 134 WARN Act notices in March 2003, affecting an estimated 18,509 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to February and down 2% versus March 2002. Filings came from 10 states and territories, with an average of 138 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 23 | 4,405 |
| Maryland | 4 | 3,635 |
| Texas | 31 | 2,296 |
| Michigan | 14 | 1,861 |
| Florida | 12 | 1,750 |
| Oklahoma | 10 | 1,640 |
| Kansas | 22 | 1,035 |
| Georgia | 8 | 852 |
| Ohio | 8 | 847 |
| Alabama | 2 | 188 |
Pennsylvania led the nation with 4,405 workers affected across 23 notices , followed by Maryland (3,635 workers) and Texas (2,296 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 4 | 3,635 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 2,600 |
| Transportation | 7 | 1,132 |
| Information & Technology | 13 | 845 |
| Manufacturing | 12 | 819 |
| Wholesale Trade | 4 | 359 |
| Finance & Insurance | 4 | 314 |
| Retail | 2 | 281 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 270 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 268 |
The Other sector saw the heaviest impact with 3,635 workers across 4 notices. On a related front, Professional Services reported 2,600 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 34 | 8,403 |
| Closure | 20 | 1,686 |
Closures accounted for 9% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem Steel Corp | Sparrows Point, Maryland | 3,470 | Layoff |
| Bethlehem Steel Corporation (Corporate Office-Martin Tower, Research, and Keystone (PN&NE, Railroad Division) | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | 2,600 | Layoff |
| Northwest Airlines | Romulus, Michigan | 984 | Layoff |
| Celestica | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 450 | |
| Celestica | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 450 | |
| Backyard & Fun Products | Bedford, Pennsylvania | 300 | Layoff |
| Siemens | Boca Raton, Florida | 300 | |
| Renaissance Hotel Management Company LLC | Miami, Florida | 270 | |
| J M Bauersfeld's | Topeka, Kansas | 258 | |
| American General Life Companies | Dallas, Texas | 211 |
The largest notice was filed by Bethlehem Steel Corp in Sparrows Point, Maryland, reporting 3,470 affected workers. Bethlehem Steel Corporation (Corporate Office-Martin Tower, Research, and Keystone (PN&NE, Railroad Division) followed with 2,600 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 Other sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in March 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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