US Layoffs — October 1998
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 33 WARN Act notices in October 1998, covering approximately 4,530 workers — marking a sharp increase from September and up 107% versus October 1997. Filings came from 5 states and territories, with an average of 137 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 14 | 1,809 |
| Kentucky | 5 | 884 |
| Florida | 5 | 819 |
| Alabama | 5 | 662 |
| Kansas | 4 | 356 |
Ohio led the nation with 1,809 workers affected across 14 notices , followed by Kentucky (884 workers) and Florida (819 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 14 | 2,026 |
| Transportation | 3 | 597 |
| Finance & Insurance | 2 | 456 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 250 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 176 |
| Government | 1 | 132 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 116 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 79 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 64 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 2,026 workers across 14 notices. At the same time, Transportation reported 597 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 6 | 554 |
| Layoff | 2 | 500 |
Closures accounted for 12% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorola | Boynton Beach, Florida | 450 | |
| Southern Air Transport | Columbus, Ohio | 393 | |
| Commonwealth General | Louisville, Kentucky | 360 | |
| Russell Corp..(Sylacauga) | Sylacauga, Alabama | 300 | Layoff |
| Agco | Coldwater, Ohio | 267 | |
| Tecumseh Products | Somerset, Kentucky | 200 | Layoff |
| National Garment | Chanute, Kansas | 187 | |
| The Lake Terminal Railroad Center | Lorain, Ohio | 134 | |
| Lear Siegler Services | Pensacola, Florida | 132 | |
| Gamble Brothers (Burruss Co.) | Kentucky | 132 |
Leading the list was Motorola in Boynton Beach, Florida, reporting 450 affected workers. Southern Air Transport followed with 393 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect 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 October 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.