US Layoffs — December 1997
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 12 WARN Act notices in December 1997, displacing an estimated 1,373 workers — signaling an acceleration from November and up 50% versus December 1996. Filings came from 2 states and territories, with an average of 114 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 11 | 1,313 |
| Florida | 1 | 60 |
Ohio led the nation with 1,313 workers affected across 11 notices , followed by Florida (60 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 8 | 984 |
| Retail | 1 | 140 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 109 |
| Utilities | 1 | 80 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 60 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 984 workers across 8 notices. Notably, Retail reported 140 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
Layoff type data was not available for filings this month.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| American National Can | Mt. Vernon, Ohio | 230 | |
| Bosch Braking | Frankfort, Ohio | 213 | |
| Lazarus | Dayton, Ohio | 140 | |
| Velva Sheen | Fairfax, Ohio | 129 | |
| Jacob., May., Tusc., & Kalur | Cleveland, Ohio | 109 | |
| Universal Electronics | Twinsburg, Ohio | 106 | |
| BTR Auto - Sealing Sys Group | West Unity, Ohio | 100 | |
| Huntsman Packing | Carrollton, Ohio | 98 | |
| Centerior Energy | Seven Hills, Ohio | 80 | |
| Commerce Clearing House | St. Petersburg, Florida | 60 |
The most significant filing came from American National Can in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, reporting 230 affected workers. Bosch Braking followed with 213 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate 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 December 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.