Pennsylvania Layoffs — December 2004
Employers in Pennsylvania recorded 12 WARN Act notices in December 2004, covering approximately 2,132 workers — marking a sharp increase from November and up 171% versus December 2003. The average filing covered 178 workers, with 9 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 8 | 1,581 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 344 |
| Retail | 1 | 104 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 64 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 39 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 1,581 workers across 8 notices. At the same time, Accommodation & Food reported 344 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 3 | 487 |
| Chester | 1 | 350 |
| Cumberland | 1 | 335 |
| York | 2 | 329 |
| Mercer | 1 | 207 |
Philadelphia was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 23% of all affected workers with 487 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 3 | 487 |
| Elverson | 1 | 350 |
| Shippensburg | 1 | 335 |
| Sharon | 1 | 207 |
| Lancaster | 1 | 185 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 9 | 1,471 |
| Layoff | 3 | 661 |
The high proportion of closures (69% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graco | Elverson | 350 | Layoff | |
| Adam's Mark | Philadelphia | 344 | Closure | |
| Hoffman Mills | Shippensburg | 335 | Closure | |
| Wheatland Tube | Sharon | 207 | Layoff | |
| Armstrong | Lancaster | 185 | Closure | |
| Fypon | Stewartstown | 167 | Closure | |
| Fypon | Seven Valleys | 162 | Closure | |
| Boscov's | Philadelphia | 104 | Layoff | |
| Georgia-Pacific | Bala-Cynwyd | 93 | Closure | |
| Eagle Family Foods | Wellsboro | 82 | Closure | |
| Hospital Central | Scranton | 64 | Closure | |
| Aramark Citizens Bank Ball Park | Philadelphia | 39 | Closure |
Leading the list was Graco at its Elverson facility, reporting 350 affected workers. Adam's Mark followed with 344 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The filings reflect mounting pressure on the Pennsylvania labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.