US Layoffs — March 1999
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 65 WARN Act notices in March 1999, putting at risk an estimated 8,156 workers — up substantially from February and up 72% versus March 1998. Filings came from 6 states and territories, with an average of 125 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 20 | 2,328 |
| Texas | 23 | 1,833 |
| Alabama | 9 | 1,492 |
| Kentucky | 5 | 1,254 |
| Florida | 7 | 1,163 |
| Kansas | 1 | 86 |
Ohio led the nation with 2,328 workers affected across 20 notices , followed by Texas (1,833 workers) and Alabama (1,492 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 23 | 3,167 |
| Information & Technology | 5 | 1,216 |
| Healthcare | 5 | 642 |
| Retail | 10 | 530 |
| Transportation | 3 | 279 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 229 |
| Finance & Insurance | 3 | 220 |
| Mining & Energy | 2 | 188 |
| Government | 1 | 85 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 80 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 3,167 workers across 23 notices. Separately, Information & Technology reported 1,216 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 11 | 2,497 |
| Layoff | 3 | 249 |
Closures accounted for 31% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talisman Sugar | Belle Glade, Florida | 700 | |
| TechnoTrim | Kentucky | 583 | Closure |
| Oneita Industries | Fayette, Alabama | 355 | Closure |
| Fmc | Stephenville, Texas | 350 | |
| Oneita Industries | Cullman, Alabama | 311 | Closure |
| Cabletron Systems | Ironton, Ohio | 309 | |
| Iowa Beef Processors (IBP) | Palestine, Texas | 287 | |
| Reform Manufacturing | Reform, Alabama | 269 | Closure |
| The J. Peterman | Kentucky | 230 | Closure |
| Braeview Manor | Euclid, Ohio | 203 |
Topping the list was Talisman Sugar in Belle Glade, Florida, reporting 700 affected workers. TechnoTrim followed with 583 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
These figures highlight 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 March 1999. 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.