US Layoffs — January 2004

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 117 WARN Act notices in January 2004, putting at risk an estimated 15,805 workers — up substantially from December and down 46% versus January 2003. Filings came from 13 states and territories, with an average of 135 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

Pennsylvania led the nation with 3,168 workers affected across 14 notices , followed by Texas (2,197 workers) and Georgia (2,039 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 4,684 workers across 33 notices. Separately, Information & Technology reported 2,173 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 32% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

Topping the list was Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reporting 1,081 affected workers. TeleTech followed with 790 workers.

Trend & Outlook

After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.

These figures highlight a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in January 2004. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is sourced from official state filings and updated daily by WARN Firehose, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.