Ohio Layoffs — October 2003
Employers in Ohio reported 10 WARN Act notices in October 2003, displacing an estimated 2,757 workers — signaling an acceleration from September and up 22% versus October 2002. The average filing covered 276 workers, with 0 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 6 | 2,185 |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 311 |
| Construction | 1 | 261 |
The Retail sector topped the list of affected industries with 2,185 workers across 6 notices. Notably, Manufacturing reported 311 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Franklin | 3 | 1,978 |
| Richland | 1 | 261 |
| Medina | 1 | 140 |
| Hamilton | 1 | 107 |
| Summit | 1 | 74 |
Franklin saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 72% of all affected workers with 1,978 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus | 1 | 1,773 |
| Mansfield | 1 | 261 |
| Medina | 1 | 140 |
| Dublin | 1 | 136 |
| Cincinnati | 1 | 107 |
Layoff Type Analysis
Layoff type classification was not available for filings in Ohio this month.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bear | Columbus | 1,773 | ||
| Crane Plumbing | Mansfield | 261 | ||
| PAR Industries | Medina | 140 | ||
| Big Bear | Dublin | 136 | ||
| Shur-Good Biscuit | Cincinnati | 107 | ||
| Bank One - Retail Vehicle Finance Group | Akron | 74 | ||
| Big Bear | Lebanon | 71 | ||
| Big Bear | Hilliard | 69 | ||
| Lake Erie Products - Di-Rite | Lakewood | 64 | ||
| Big Bear | Wintersville | 62 |
The most significant filing came from Big Bear at its Columbus facility, reporting 1,773 affected workers. Crane Plumbing followed with 261 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the Ohio labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Ohio. 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 Ohio WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.