Pennsylvania Layoffs — September 2001
Employers in Pennsylvania reported 20 WARN Act notices in September 2001, displacing an estimated 5,100 workers — signaling a deceleration 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 topped the list of affected industries with 3,013 workers across 1 notice. Notably, 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 felt the sharpest impact, 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 |
The most significant filing came from U.S. Airways at its Philadelphia facility, reporting 3,013 affected workers. Washington Group International followed with 350 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The numbers illustrate 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.