The US labor market showed continued flux as employers submitted 95 WARN Act notices in May 2003, putting at risk an estimated 10,856 workers — down from April and down 38% versus May 2002. Filings came from 9 states and territories, with an average of 114 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 25 | 3,710 |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | 1,415 |
| Michigan | 12 | 1,281 |
| Ohio | 6 | 1,049 |
| Florida | 12 | 1,022 |
| Alabama | 7 | 868 |
| Georgia | 4 | 731 |
| Kansas | 10 | 587 |
| Maryland | 4 | 193 |
Texas led the nation with 3,710 workers affected across 25 notices , followed by Pennsylvania (1,415 workers) and Michigan (1,281 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 10 | 1,267 |
| Healthcare | 5 | 758 |
| Information & Technology | 7 | 720 |
| Transportation | 3 | 291 |
| Retail | 3 | 255 |
| Government | 2 | 194 |
| Other | 4 | 193 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 111 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 99 |
| Finance & Insurance | 2 | 65 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 1,267 workers across 10 notices. Separately, Healthcare reported 758 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 26 | 2,492 |
| Layoff | 17 | 1,265 |
Closures accounted for 23% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northrup Grumman Electro-Optical Systems | Garland, Texas | 2,341 | |
| Prison Health Services, Inc | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 382 | Layoff |
| Teletech | Kansas City, Kansas | 380 | |
| Coats North America | Toccoa, Georgia | 323 | |
| TS Trim Industries | Athens, Ohio | 308 | |
| Valley Fresh | Talmo, Georgia | 272 | |
| Wohlert | Lansing, Michigan | 258 | Closure |
| Steelcase | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 247 | Layoff |
| Ameripol - Synpol - Port Neches | Port Neches, Texas | 245 | |
| Midland Steel Products Co | Cleveland, Ohio | 223 |
Topping the list was Northrup Grumman Electro-Optical Systems in Garland, Texas, reporting 2,341 affected workers. Prison Health Services, Inc followed with 382 workers.
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
These figures highlight a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in May 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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