Pennsylvania Layoffs — March 2003
Employers in Pennsylvania recorded 19 WARN Act notices in March 2003, covering approximately 4,407 workers — marking a sharp increase from February and up 2% versus March 2002. The average filing covered 232 workers, with 11 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Services | 2 | 2,686 |
| Manufacturing | 10 | 904 |
| Information & Technology | 3 | 322 |
| Retail | 2 | 280 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 144 |
| Transportation | 1 | 71 |
The Professional Services sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 2,686 workers across 2 notices. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 904 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Northampton | 2 | 2,780 |
| Bedford | 1 | 300 |
| Allegheny | 3 | 217 |
| Montgomery | 3 | 203 |
| Butler | 2 | 178 |
Northampton was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 63% of all affected workers with 2,780 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem | 1 | 2,600 |
| Bedford | 1 | 300 |
| Pittsburgh | 3 | 217 |
| Easton | 1 | 180 |
| Blue Bell | 1 | 180 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 8 | 3,397 |
| Closure | 11 | 1,010 |
Closures accounted for 23% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem Steel | Bethlehem | 2,600 | Layoff | |
| Backyard & Fun Products | Bedford | 300 | Layoff | |
| Super-Value | Easton | 180 | Layoff | |
| Yarway | Blue Bell | 180 | Closure | |
| TeleSpectrum Worldwide, Inc.(Aliquippa Contact Center) | Aliquippa | 169 | Closure | |
| Uniprise/UnitedHealth Care (UnitedHealth Group Companies) | Pittsburgh | 144 | Layoff | |
| ICT Group, Inc. (Americhoice Program) | Langhorne | 132 | Layoff | |
| Wheatland Tube Company - Cold Draw Plant | Wheatland | 116 | Closure | |
| Napco | Butler | 102 | Closure | |
| K-Mart Store #3183 | Johnstown | 100 | Closure | |
| CDI Corporation (Shared Services Center) | Philadelphia | 86 | Closure | |
| Grumman Olson | Montgomery | 77 | Closure | |
| TruServ Corporation (Butler Plant) | Butler | 76 | Closure | |
| GENCO Distribution System | Pittsburgh | 71 | Closure | |
| Lancaster Malleable Castings Company (2 locations) | Lancaster | 31 | Closure |
Leading the list was Bethlehem Steel at its Bethlehem facility, reporting 2,600 affected workers. Backyard & Fun Products followed with 300 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The filings reflect mounting pressure on the Pennsylvania labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Professional Services 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.