Maryland Layoffs — March 2003
Employers in Maryland recorded 4 WARN Act notices in March 2003, covering approximately 3,635 workers — marking a sharp increase from February and up 180% versus March 2002. The average filing covered 909 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 3,470 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 76 |
| Retail | 1 | 61 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 28 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 3,470 workers across 1 notice. At the same time, Professional Services reported 76 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | 1 | 3,470 |
| Prince George's | 1 | 76 |
| Howard | 1 | 61 |
| Anne Arundel | 1 | 28 |
Baltimore bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 95% of all affected workers with 3,470 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Sparrows Point | 1 | 3,470 |
| Seabrook | 1 | 76 |
| Columbia | 1 | 61 |
| Laurel | 1 | 28 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 3 | 3,574 |
| Closure | 1 | 61 |
Closures accounted for 2% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem Steel | Sparrows Point | 3,470 | Layoff | |
| Boeing Service | Seabrook | 76 | Layoff | |
| Arch Wireless | Columbia | 61 | Closure | |
| Beauty Systems Group | Laurel | 28 | Layoff |
Leading the list was Bethlehem Steel at its Sparrows Point facility, reporting 3,470 affected workers. Boeing Service followed with 76 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect mounting pressure on the Maryland labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Maryland. 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 Maryland WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.