US Layoffs — February 2005
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 89 WARN Act notices in February 2005, impacting roughly 14,276 workers — representing a notable rise over January and up 16% versus February 2004. Filings came from 13 states and territories, with an average of 160 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 22 | 3,567 |
| Georgia | 11 | 1,925 |
| Maryland | 6 | 1,670 |
| Illinois | 8 | 1,199 |
| Texas | 12 | 1,113 |
| Florida | 5 | 973 |
| Ohio | 4 | 895 |
| Alabama | 4 | 743 |
| Michigan | 3 | 651 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 528 |
| Kansas | 3 | 427 |
| Washington | 3 | 416 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 169 |
Pennsylvania led the nation with 3,567 workers affected across 22 notices , followed by Georgia (1,925 workers) and Maryland (1,670 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 32 | 6,618 |
| Transportation | 11 | 2,502 |
| Information & Technology | 14 | 1,235 |
| Professional Services | 6 | 863 |
| Retail | 6 | 577 |
| Finance & Insurance | 5 | 505 |
| Construction | 3 | 488 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 340 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 251 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3 | 219 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 6,618 workers across 32 notices. In a parallel development, Transportation reported 2,502 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 24 | 5,360 |
| Layoff | 25 | 3,405 |
Closures accounted for 38% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Motors | Baltimore City, Maryland | 1,109 | Closure |
| US Airways | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 802 | Layoff |
| US Airways | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 761 | Closure |
| Lockheed Martin Space Systems | Cape Canaveral, Florida | 425 | |
| McBee | Athens, Ohio | 361 | |
| Nokia - Tarrant | Fort Worth, Texas | 354 | |
| AT&T | Marietta, Georgia | 351 | |
| Buffalo Molded Plastics, Inc., Andover Industries | Andover, Ohio | 351 | |
| Springs Industries | Hartwell, Georgia | 308 | |
| Royal Crown Bottling | Chicago, Illinois | 302 | Closure |
The single largest action involved General Motors in Baltimore City, Maryland, reporting 1,109 affected workers. US Airways followed with 802 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in February 2005. 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, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.