US Layoffs — July 2002
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 87 WARN Act notices in July 2002, affecting an estimated 12,772 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to June and down 45% versus July 2001. Filings came from 10 states and territories, with an average of 147 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 11 | 2,695 |
| Ohio | 13 | 2,686 |
| Kansas | 6 | 1,471 |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 1,395 |
| Maryland | 7 | 1,147 |
| Georgia | 11 | 903 |
| Florida | 8 | 780 |
| Alabama | 5 | 747 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 559 |
| Michigan | 5 | 389 |
Texas led the nation with 2,695 workers affected across 11 notices , followed by Ohio (2,686 workers) and Kansas (1,471 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 35 | 5,687 |
| Information & Technology | 14 | 1,812 |
| Transportation | 5 | 1,558 |
| Construction | 3 | 830 |
| Professional Services | 7 | 559 |
| Finance & Insurance | 7 | 546 |
| Retail | 4 | 463 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2 | 97 |
| Admin & Support Services | 1 | 85 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 62 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 5,687 workers across 35 notices. On a related front, Information & Technology reported 1,812 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 26 | 2,561 |
| Layoff | 8 | 1,121 |
Closures accounted for 20% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Airlines | Kansas City, Kansas | 1,098 | |
| Celestica | Columbus, Ohio | 930 | |
| Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company - Weslaco | Weslaco, Texas | 672 | |
| WorldCom | Hunt Valley, Maryland | 656 | Layoff |
| Spherion Atlantic Enterprises | Nederland, Texas | 600 | |
| Alcatel USA, Inc. - Plano | Plano, Texas | 352 | |
| Huntleigh USA | Houston, Texas | 348 | |
| Liz Clairborne | Montgomery, Alabama | 341 | Closure |
| Atmel | Irving, Texas | 297 | |
| Graco | Canton, Ohio | 279 |
The largest notice was filed by Vanguard Airlines in Kansas City, Kansas, reporting 1,098 affected workers. Celestica followed with 930 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in July 2002. 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.