Pennsylvania Layoffs — September 2001
Employers in Pennsylvania submitted 20 WARN Act notices in September 2001, putting at risk an estimated 5,100 workers — down from August. The average filing covered 255 workers, with 13 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 1 | 3,013 |
| Manufacturing | 7 | 846 |
| Information & Technology | 7 | 590 |
| Construction | 1 | 350 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 128 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 90 |
| Retail | 1 | 45 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 38 |
The Transportation sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 3,013 workers across 1 notice. Separately, Manufacturing reported 846 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 4 | 3,581 |
| Montgomery | 5 | 467 |
| Lehigh | 2 | 437 |
| Allegheny | 3 | 200 |
| Berks | 1 | 139 |
Philadelphia saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 70% of all affected workers with 3,581 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 4 | 3,581 |
| Allentown | 2 | 437 |
| Ft. Washington | 1 | 248 |
| Pittsburgh | 3 | 200 |
| Laureldale | 1 | 139 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 6 | 3,557 |
| Closure | 13 | 1,431 |
Closures accounted for 28% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Airways | Philadelphia | 3,013 | Layoff | |
| Washington Group International | Philadelphia | 350 | Closure | |
| Tect | Allentown | 325 | Closure | |
| CDNOW (all operations other than Information Technology) | Ft. Washington | 248 | Layoff | |
| Empire Steel Castings (Laureldale Facility) [Pennsylvania Foundry Group] | Laureldale | 139 | Closure | |
| Harcourt Health Sciences Division | Philadelphia | 128 | Layoff | |
| Qualex | Pittsburgh | 120 | Closure | |
| New World Pasta | Lebanon | 115 | Closure | |
| Mail-Well Envelope | Allentown | 112 | ||
| Jetsort (Ancora Capital and Management Group, LLC) | Oaks | 103 | Closure | |
| Gate Gourmet Philadelphia International Airport | Philadelphia | 90 | Layoff | |
| TeleSpectrum Worldwide | King of Prussia | 82 | Closure | |
| Plainwell, Inc. (Plainwell) | Pittston Township | 75 | Layoff | |
| Thermal Industries | Pittsburgh | 46 | Closure | |
| Ames Department Stores | Mill Hall | 45 | Closure |
Topping the list was U.S. Airways at its Philadelphia facility, reporting 3,013 affected workers. Washington Group International followed with 350 workers.
Trend & Outlook
These figures highlight a mixed picture for Pennsylvania's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Transportation sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Pennsylvania. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all Pennsylvania WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.