Pennsylvania Layoffs — August 2003
Employers in Pennsylvania logged 23 WARN Act notices in August 2003, involving roughly 1,466 workers — falling below July and down 74% versus August 2002. The average filing covered 64 workers, with 10 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 15 | 654 |
| Retail | 1 | 214 |
| Transportation | 2 | 183 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 160 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 115 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 65 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 40 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 35 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 654 workers across 15 notices. Meanwhile, Retail reported 214 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Cambria | 3 | 305 |
| Allegheny | 1 | 214 |
| Philadelphia | 2 | 189 |
| Erie | 1 | 158 |
| Northampton | 2 | 150 |
Cambria was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 21% of all affected workers with 305 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | 1 | 214 |
| Philadelphia | 2 | 189 |
| Hermitage | 1 | 160 |
| Erie | 1 | 158 |
| Bethlehem | 1 | 115 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 13 | 935 |
| Closure | 10 | 531 |
Closures accounted for 36% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OK Grocery | Pittsburgh | 214 | Layoff | |
| First National Bank | Hermitage | 160 | Layoff | |
| Carlisle Engineered Products | Erie | 158 | Closure | |
| US Airways (Philadelphia International Airport) | Philadelphia | 149 | Layoff | |
| Rcn | Bethlehem | 115 | Layoff | |
| Black & Decker (Emglo Products LLC) | Johnstown | 105 | Closure | |
| Guardian Industries | Lewistown | 85 | Closure | |
| Elkins Park Hospital | Elkins Park | 65 | Layoff | |
| HV Wood Products | Hughesville | 50 | Closure | |
| Agere Systems | Reading | 41 | Layoff | |
| Niagra Plastics, Protective Industries | Cresson | 40 | Closure | |
| Spectrum Marketing Services | Philadelphia | 40 | Closure | |
| Werner Co. (Greenville Division) | Greenville | 40 | Layoff | |
| Ateeco | Shenandoah | 38 | Layoff | |
| Ryerson Tull | Easton | 35 | Closure |
The biggest impact was at OK Grocery at its Pittsburgh facility, reporting 214 affected workers. First National Bank followed with 160 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This data points to a easing in workforce disruptions across Pennsylvania, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. 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.