US Layoffs — August 2002
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 152 WARN Act notices in August 2002, impacting roughly 18,457 workers — representing a notable rise over July and up 15% versus August 2001. Filings came from 10 states and territories, with an average of 121 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 43 | 5,615 |
| Texas | 33 | 3,843 |
| Ohio | 13 | 2,681 |
| Michigan | 16 | 1,765 |
| Georgia | 17 | 1,591 |
| Kansas | 8 | 908 |
| Florida | 8 | 728 |
| Alabama | 5 | 663 |
| Maryland | 8 | 603 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 60 |
Pennsylvania led the nation with 5,615 workers affected across 43 notices , followed by Texas (3,843 workers) and Ohio (2,681 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 37 | 5,353 |
| Retail | 43 | 2,751 |
| Healthcare | 6 | 2,632 |
| Transportation | 18 | 1,983 |
| Accommodation & Food | 4 | 1,869 |
| Information & Technology | 14 | 1,150 |
| Finance & Insurance | 6 | 758 |
| Real Estate | 8 | 603 |
| Professional Services | 4 | 300 |
| Government | 4 | 224 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 5,353 workers across 37 notices. In a parallel development, Retail reported 2,751 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 61 | 6,967 |
| Layoff | 15 | 2,050 |
Closures accounted for 38% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Francis Medical Center | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 1,600 | Closure |
| Ames Department Stores (Leesport Distribution Center) | Leesport, Pennsylvania | 869 | Closure |
| Sportservice | Arlington, Texas | 723 | |
| Detroit Diesel | Detroit, Michigan | 700 | Layoff |
| Sport Service | Cincinnati, Ohio | 654 | |
| International Truck and Engine | Springfield, Ohio | 500 | |
| Louisiana Pacific Corporation - Cleveland | Cleveland, Texas | 462 | |
| St. Francis Hospital of New Castle | New Castle, Pennsylvania | 450 | Closure |
| Consolidated Freightways - Houston | Houston, Texas | 445 | |
| Lady Baltimore Foods | Kansas City, Kansas | 350 |
The single largest action involved St. Francis Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reporting 1,600 affected workers. Ames Department Stores (Leesport Distribution Center) followed with 869 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores 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 August 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.