The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 140 WARN Act notices in January 2004, putting at risk an estimated 17,648 workers — up substantially from December and down 44% versus January 2003. Filings came from 13 states and territories, with an average of 126 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 19 | 3,345 |
| Texas | 23 | 2,257 |
| Georgia | 14 | 2,039 |
| Kentucky | 14 | 1,990 |
| Ohio | 8 | 1,536 |
| Florida | 18 | 1,374 |
| Kansas | 14 | 1,262 |
| Michigan | 13 | 1,145 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 1,072 |
| Alabama | 5 | 816 |
| Washington | 3 | 371 |
| New Jersey | 3 | 289 |
| Maryland | 2 | 152 |
Pennsylvania led the nation with 3,345 workers affected across 19 notices , followed by Texas (2,257 workers) and Georgia (2,039 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 12 | 1,908 |
| Healthcare | 5 | 1,612 |
| Retail | 17 | 1,306 |
| Other | 9 | 1,147 |
| Finance & Insurance | 10 | 1,121 |
| Information & Technology | 6 | 1,091 |
| Transportation | 7 | 818 |
| Construction | 2 | 462 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 134 |
| Agriculture | 2 | 130 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 1,908 workers across 12 notices. Separately, Healthcare reported 1,612 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 33 | 5,271 |
| Layoff | 16 | 558 |
Closures accounted for 30% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1,081 | Closure |
| TeleTech | Topeka, Kansas | 790 | |
| Sykes | Ada, Oklahoma | 440 | |
| Sykes | Ada, Oklahoma | 440 | |
| West Telemarketing Corporation Outbound | Lubbock, Texas | 440 | |
| Earthlink | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | 413 | Closure |
| Rubbermaid / UPDATED | Wooster, Ohio | 388 | |
| Westpoint Stevens-dunson | Lagrange, Georgia | 350 | |
| Motorola | Boynton Beach, Florida | 325 | |
| Earthlink, Inc | Atlanta, Georgia | 321 |
Topping the list was Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reporting 1,081 affected workers. TeleTech followed with 790 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in January 2004. 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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