The US labor market showed continued flux as employers logged 91 WARN Act notices in September 2004, involving roughly 11,975 workers — falling below August and down 22% versus September 2003. Filings came from 12 states and territories, with an average of 132 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 19 | 4,312 |
| Georgia | 12 | 1,233 |
| Florida | 11 | 1,214 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 1,136 |
| Pennsylvania | 12 | 1,034 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 880 |
| Michigan | 9 | 784 |
| Ohio | 5 | 463 |
| Washington | 3 | 411 |
| Maryland | 1 | 326 |
| Kansas | 6 | 95 |
| Alabama | 2 | 87 |
Texas led the nation with 4,312 workers affected across 19 notices , followed by Georgia (1,233 workers) and Florida (1,214 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 7 | 2,370 |
| Manufacturing | 13 | 1,012 |
| Other | 4 | 766 |
| Accommodation & Food | 3 | 652 |
| Information & Technology | 5 | 405 |
| Retail | 1 | 281 |
| Admin & Support Services | 2 | 236 |
| Utilities | 1 | 144 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 124 |
| Finance & Insurance | 2 | 120 |
The Transportation sector dominated layoff filings with 2,370 workers across 7 notices. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 1,012 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 20 | 1,731 |
| Closure | 10 | 911 |
Closures accounted for 8% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Delta) | Fort Worth, Texas | 1,597 | |
| VF Jeanswear - El Paso2 | El Paso, Texas | 640 | |
| Bristol Meyers Squibb | Plainsboro, New Jersey | 500 | |
| Perdue | Showell, Maryland | 326 | Closure |
| CVS Pharmacy | Garland, Texas | 281 | |
| Merkafon Teleperformance | Plano, Texas | 279 | |
| Resort Quest International | Destin, Florida | 274 | |
| VF Jeanswear - El Paso4 | El Paso, Texas | 250 | |
| Crackin Good Bakers, Inc | Valdosta, Georgia | 250 | |
| PSA Airlines | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 244 | Layoff |
The biggest impact was at Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Delta) in Fort Worth, Texas, reporting 1,597 affected workers. VF Jeanswear - El Paso2 followed with 640 workers.
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
This data points to a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Transportation sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in September 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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