Maryland Layoffs — May 2004
Employers in Maryland reported 5 WARN Act notices in May 2004, displacing an estimated 764 workers — signaling an acceleration from April and up 296% versus May 2003. The average filing covered 153 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Services | 1 | 264 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 197 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 158 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | 145 |
The Professional Services sector topped the list of affected industries with 264 workers across 1 notice. Notably, Wholesale Trade reported 197 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore City | 3 | 342 |
| Prince George's | 1 | 264 |
| Frederick | 1 | 158 |
Baltimore City absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 45% of all affected workers with 342 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore City | 3 | 342 |
| Landover | 1 | 264 |
| Frederick | 1 | 158 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 455 |
| Layoff | 2 | 309 |
The high proportion of closures (60% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Maryland's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Food | Landover | 264 | Layoff | |
| USF Red Star | Baltimore City | 197 | Closure | |
| Crown American Hotels | Frederick | 158 | Closure | |
| Smurfit-Stone Corrugated Container | Baltimore City | 100 | Closure | |
| FMC Corp. Agri. Group | Baltimore City | 45 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from Giant Food at its Landover facility, reporting 264 affected workers. USF Red Star followed with 197 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the Maryland 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 Maryland. 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 Maryland WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.