US Layoffs — August 1998
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 23 WARN Act notices in August 1998, displacing an estimated 3,610 workers — signaling an acceleration from July and up 27% versus August 1997. Filings came from 4 states and territories, with an average of 157 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 6 | 1,322 |
| Florida | 10 | 1,168 |
| Alabama | 6 | 1,040 |
| Kansas | 1 | 80 |
Ohio led the nation with 1,322 workers affected across 6 notices , followed by Florida (1,168 workers) and Alabama (1,040 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 8 | 1,332 |
| Retail | 1 | 850 |
| Transportation | 5 | 457 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 198 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 83 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 52 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 50 |
| Government | 1 | 34 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,332 workers across 8 notices. Notably, Retail reported 850 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 6 | 1,040 |
Closures accounted for 29% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercantile Stores/Dilliard's | Fairfield, Ohio | 850 | |
| Florida Coast Paper Comp | Port St. Joe, Florida | 550 | |
| Rheem Manufacturing | Greenville, Alabama | 295 | Closure |
| Gayfers, South Group Office | Mobile, Alabama | 250 | Closure |
| Russell Corporation-Slocomb | Slocomb, Alabama | 200 | Closure |
| Allied Healthcare | Toledo, Ohio | 158 | |
| Russell Corp. Distribution Center | Marianna, Florida | 150 | |
| Lockheed Martin | Portsmouth, Ohio | 125 | |
| Earthgrains Baking | Montgomery, Alabama | 104 | Closure |
| Gayfers, Montgomery Distribution Center | Montgomery, Alabama | 100 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Mercantile Stores/Dilliard's in Fairfield, Ohio, reporting 850 affected workers. Florida Coast Paper Comp followed with 550 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 August 1998. 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.