Pennsylvania Layoffs — July 2003
Employers in Pennsylvania reported 28 WARN Act notices in July 2003, displacing an estimated 2,326 workers — signaling an acceleration from June and up 67% versus July 2002. The average filing covered 83 workers, with 19 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 19 | 1,659 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 252 |
| Transportation | 1 | 125 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 102 |
| Finance & Insurance | 3 | 95 |
| Construction | 1 | 92 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 1 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,659 workers across 19 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 252 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| York | 2 | 639 |
| Luzerne | 3 | 501 |
| Delaware | 1 | 158 |
| Lebanon | 1 | 147 |
| Erie | 4 | 145 |
York absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 27% of all affected workers with 639 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Hanover | 2 | 639 |
| Pittston | 1 | 212 |
| West Hazleton | 1 | 164 |
| Havertown | 1 | 158 |
| Myerstown | 1 | 147 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 19 | 1,788 |
| Layoff | 9 | 538 |
The high proportion of closures (77% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pillowtex Inc. Quilting | Hanover | 320 | Closure | |
| Pillowtex Corporation Hanover Plant | Hanover | 319 | Closure | |
| Techneglas | Pittston | 212 | Layoff | |
| AllSteel | West Hazleton | 164 | Closure | |
| Swell Philadelphia Chewing Gum | Havertown | 158 | Closure | |
| Quaker Alloy | Myerstown | 147 | Closure | |
| Lord & Taylor Distribution | Wilkes-Barre | 125 | Layoff | |
| Dun & Bradstreet | Dickson City | 102 | Closure | |
| Cavalier Home Builders | Shippenville | 92 | Closure | |
| Apw | Erie | 90 | Closure | |
| Agere Systems | Allentown | 73 | Closure | |
| Howes Leather Corporation Franklin Tanning Division 45 | Curwensville | 72 | Closure | |
| Heil Trailer International | Lancaster | 65 | Closure | |
| Eds | Bethlehem | 40 | Layoff | |
| TriQuint Optoelectronics | Breinigsville | 40 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from Pillowtex Inc. Quilting at its Hanover facility, reporting 320 affected workers. Pillowtex Corporation Hanover Plant followed with 319 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the Pennsylvania 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 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.