US Layoffs — April 2004
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 97 WARN Act notices in April 2004, covering approximately 18,153 workers — marking a sharp increase from March and up 47% versus April 2003. Filings came from 14 states and territories, with an average of 187 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 19 | 5,410 |
| Michigan | 6 | 1,976 |
| Ohio | 13 | 1,937 |
| Texas | 15 | 1,878 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 1,061 |
| Florida | 5 | 1,047 |
| Georgia | 4 | 955 |
| New Jersey | 8 | 818 |
| Maryland | 4 | 741 |
| Alabama | 4 | 631 |
| Washington | 8 | 626 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 586 |
| Kansas | 4 | 462 |
| Vermont | 1 | 25 |
Pennsylvania led the nation with 5,410 workers affected across 19 notices , followed by Michigan (1,976 workers) and Ohio (1,937 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 38 | 5,895 |
| Healthcare | 14 | 5,464 |
| Finance & Insurance | 9 | 1,754 |
| Information & Technology | 9 | 1,417 |
| Transportation | 6 | 894 |
| Professional Services | 4 | 737 |
| Retail | 5 | 569 |
| Accommodation & Food | 2 | 565 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2 | 236 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 161 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 5,895 workers across 38 notices. At the same time, Healthcare reported 5,464 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 31 | 8,631 |
| Layoff | 11 | 1,009 |
Closures accounted for 48% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kwikset | Bristow, Oklahoma | 1,000 | |
| General Motors (Assembly Plant) | Lansing, Michigan | 907 | Closure |
| Medical College of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 883 | Closure |
| General Motors (Body Plant) | Lansing, Michigan | 659 | Closure |
| St. Agnes Medical Center | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 516 | Closure |
| HMS Host | Linthicum, Maryland | 498 | Closure |
| Prison Health Services, Inc. Cambria Community Center 2815 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 410 | Closure |
| Prison Health Services, Inc. Curran Fromhold Facility 7901 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 410 | Closure |
| Prison Health Services, Inc. Philadelphia Detention Center | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 410 | Closure |
| Prison Health Services, Inc. Philadelphia House of Corrections | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 410 | Closure |
Leading the list was Kwikset in Bristow, Oklahoma, reporting 1,000 affected workers. General Motors (Assembly Plant) followed with 907 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The filings reflect mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in April 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.