Employers in Pennsylvania recorded 23 WARN Act notices in March 2003, covering approximately 4,405 workers — marking a sharp increase from February and up 69% versus March 2002. The average filing covered 192 workers, with 13 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Services | 1 | 2,600 |
| Manufacturing | 6 | 192 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 144 |
| Retail | 1 | 100 |
| Transportation | 1 | 71 |
| Utilities | 1 | 0 |
The Professional Services sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 2,600 workers across 1 notice. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 192 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Northampton, Lehigh | 1 | 2,600 |
| Bedford | 1 | 300 |
| Allegheny | 2 | 215 |
| Montgomery | 4 | 203 |
| Northampton | 1 | 180 |
Northampton, Lehigh felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 59% of all affected workers with 2,600 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem | 1 | 2,600 |
| Bedford | 1 | 300 |
| Easton | 1 | 180 |
| Blue Bell | 1 | 180 |
| Butler | 2 | 178 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 10 | 3,395 |
| Closure | 13 | 1,010 |
Closures accounted for 23% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem Steel Corporation (Corporate Office-Martin Tower, Research, and Keystone (PN&NE, Railroad Division) | Bethlehem | 2,600 | Layoff | 2003-03-01 |
| Backyard & Fun Products | Bedford | 300 | Layoff | 2003-03-01 |
| Super-Value | Easton | 180 | Layoff | 2003-03-01 |
| Yarway Corporation | Blue Bell | 180 | Closure | 2003-03-01 |
| TeleSpectrum Worldwide, Inc.(Aliquippa Contact Center) | Aliquippa | 169 | Closure | 2003-03-01 |
| Uniprise/UnitedHealth Care (UnitedHealth Group Companies) | 144 | Layoff | 2003-03-01 | |
| ICT Group, Inc. (Americhoice Program) | Langhorne | 132 | Layoff | 2003-03-01 |
| Wheatland Tube Company - Cold Draw Plant | Wheatland | 116 | Closure | 2003-03-01 |
| Napco, Inc | Butler | 102 | Closure | 2003-03-01 |
| K-Mart Store #3183 | Johnstown | 100 | Closure | 2003-03-01 |
| CDI Corporation (Shared Services Center) | Philadelphia | 86 | Closure | 2003-03-01 |
| Grumman Olson | Montgomery | 77 | Closure | 2003-03-01 |
| TruServ Corporation (Butler Plant) | Butler | 76 | Closure | 2003-03-01 |
| GENCO Distribution System | Pittsburgh | 71 | Closure | 2003-03-01 |
| Lancaster Malleable Castings Company (2 locations) | Lancaster | 31 | Closure | 2003-03-01 |
Leading the list was Bethlehem Steel Corporation (Corporate Office-Martin Tower, Research, and Keystone (PN&NE, Railroad Division) at its Bethlehem facility, reporting 2,600 affected workers. Backyard & Fun Products followed with 300 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect mounting pressure on the Pennsylvania labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Professional Services 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.
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