US Layoffs — October 1997
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 13 WARN Act notices in October 1997, impacting roughly 2,193 workers — representing a notable rise over September and down 54% versus October 1996. Filings came from 1 states and territories, with an average of 169 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 13 | 2,193 |
Ohio led the nation with 2,193 workers affected across 13 notices .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5 | 974 |
| Information & Technology | 3 | 409 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 282 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 264 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 114 |
| Retail | 1 | 80 |
| Transportation | 1 | 70 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 974 workers across 5 notices. In a parallel development, Information & Technology reported 409 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
Layoff type data was not available for filings this month.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millennium Petrochemicals | Cincinnati, Ohio | 375 | |
| Prudential | Cincinnati, Ohio | 282 | |
| Nyma | Brookpark, Ohio | 264 | |
| Epic Technical | Dover, Ohio | 248 | |
| Rockwell Automation | Ashtabula, Ohio | 209 | |
| Teleflex | Van Wert, Ohio | 171 | |
| Bucyrus Inernational | Marion, Ohio | 159 | |
| Acme Food Service | Akron, Ohio | 114 | |
| Ameritech | Cleveland, Ohio | 97 | |
| Woody's Market | West Carrollton, Ohio | 80 |
The single largest action involved Millennium Petrochemicals in Cincinnati, Ohio, reporting 375 affected workers. Prudential followed with 282 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in October 1997. 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.