Maryland Layoffs — August 2009
Employers in Maryland submitted 4 WARN Act notices in August 2009, putting at risk an estimated 428 workers — up substantially from July and down 11% versus August 2008. The average filing covered 107 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Services | 1 | 281 |
| Retail | 2 | 87 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 60 |
The Professional Services sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 281 workers across 1 notice. Separately, Retail reported 87 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery | 1 | 281 |
| Anne Arundel | 1 | 78 |
| Baltimore | 1 | 60 |
| Saint Marys | 1 | 9 |
Montgomery saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 66% of all affected workers with 281 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Rockville | 1 | 281 |
| Glen Burnie | 1 | 78 |
| Owings Mills | 1 | 60 |
| Lexington Park | 1 | 9 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 3 | 350 |
| Closure | 1 | 78 |
Closures accounted for 18% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westat | Rockville | 281 | Layoff | |
| Kmart | Glen Burnie | 78 | Closure | |
| Solo Cup | Owings Mills | 60 | Layoff | |
| Bell Helicopter | Lexington Park | 9 | Layoff |
Topping the list was Westat at its Rockville facility, reporting 281 affected workers. Kmart followed with 78 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight a mixed picture for Maryland's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. 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.