The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 78 WARN Act notices in October 2003, impacting roughly 10,774 workers — representing a pullback from September and down 45% versus October 2002. Filings came from 9 states and territories, with an average of 138 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 9 | 2,683 |
| Texas | 17 | 1,878 |
| Florida | 14 | 1,872 |
| Alabama | 2 | 1,210 |
| Georgia | 9 | 971 |
| Maryland | 4 | 685 |
| Michigan | 5 | 674 |
| Kansas | 16 | 595 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 206 |
Ohio led the nation with 2,683 workers affected across 9 notices , followed by Texas (1,878 workers) and Florida (1,872 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 8 | 1,219 |
| Other | 3 | 565 |
| Retail | 1 | 467 |
| Agriculture | 4 | 396 |
| Transportation | 3 | 381 |
| Finance & Insurance | 2 | 325 |
| Information & Technology | 3 | 314 |
| Construction | 1 | 261 |
| Government | 1 | 216 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 120 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 1,219 workers across 8 notices. In a parallel development, Other reported 565 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 9 | 2,426 |
| Layoff | 10 | 143 |
Closures accounted for 23% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bear | Columbus, Ohio | 1,773 | |
| Goodyear Dunlop Tire NA, Ltd | Huntsville, Alabama | 1,160 | Closure |
| Sony Semiconductor Co. of America | San Antonio, Texas | 600 | |
| Medco Health Solutions of Sabal Park | Tampa, Florida | 467 | |
| Nevamar Company | Odenton, Maryland | 360 | Closure |
| Lear Corporation | Traverse City, Michigan | 331 | Closure |
| Blue Bird North Georgia | Lafayette, Georgia | 300 | |
| Farmland | Coffeyville, Kansas | 298 | |
| Triad Financial | Margate, Florida | 275 | |
| Crane Plumbing | Mansfield, Ohio | 261 |
The single largest action involved Big Bear in Columbus, Ohio, reporting 1,773 affected workers. Goodyear Dunlop Tire NA, Ltd followed with 1,160 workers.
The data underscores 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 October 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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