Maryland Layoffs — May 2012
Employers in Maryland recorded 8 WARN Act notices in May 2012, covering approximately 3,300 workers — marking a sharp increase from April and up 94% versus May 2011. The average filing covered 412 workers, with 6 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5 | 2,687 |
| Education | 1 | 350 |
| Retail | 1 | 223 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 40 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 2,687 workers across 5 notices. At the same time, Education reported 350 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | 1 | 1,975 |
| Anne Arundel | 6 | 905 |
| Washington | 1 | 420 |
Baltimore absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 60% of all affected workers with 1,975 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Sparrows Point | 1 | 1,975 |
| Baltimore | 6 | 905 |
| Hagerstown | 1 | 420 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 2 | 2,198 |
| Closure | 6 | 1,102 |
Closures accounted for 33% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RG Steel | Sparrows Point | 1,975 | Layoff | |
| Unilever Ice Cream | Hagerstown | 420 | Closure | |
| University of Maryland Medical System chronic care programs offered at University Specialty Hospital | Baltimore | 350 | Closure | |
| Saks Fifth Avenue | Baltimore | 223 | Layoff | |
| Hostess Brands | Baltimore | 158 | Closure | |
| Phillips Foods | Baltimore | 100 | Closure | |
| Capital One | Baltimore | 40 | Closure | |
| Hostess Brands | Baltimore | 34 | Closure |
Leading the list was RG Steel at its Sparrows Point facility, reporting 1,975 affected workers. Unilever Ice Cream followed with 420 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The filings reflect mounting pressure on the Maryland 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 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.