US Layoffs — June 2004
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 91 WARN Act notices in June 2004, impacting roughly 13,258 workers — representing a notable rise over May and up 44% versus June 2003. Filings came from 13 states and territories, with an average of 146 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 21 | 2,293 |
| Georgia | 11 | 2,225 |
| Florida | 13 | 1,921 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 1,912 |
| Ohio | 11 | 1,056 |
| Alabama | 2 | 841 |
| Texas | 10 | 831 |
| Kansas | 4 | 789 |
| Maryland | 3 | 501 |
| Washington | 4 | 320 |
| Michigan | 2 | 259 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 214 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 96 |
Pennsylvania led the nation with 2,293 workers affected across 21 notices , followed by Georgia (2,225 workers) and Florida (1,921 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 29 | 3,646 |
| Information & Technology | 18 | 2,356 |
| Healthcare | 9 | 2,264 |
| Professional Services | 5 | 1,568 |
| Finance & Insurance | 5 | 892 |
| Transportation | 4 | 551 |
| Education | 3 | 417 |
| Real Estate | 4 | 283 |
| Retail | 3 | 239 |
| Government | 1 | 225 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 3,646 workers across 29 notices. In a parallel development, Information & Technology reported 2,356 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 25 | 3,170 |
| Layoff | 8 | 1,167 |
Closures accounted for 24% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norvergence | Newark, New Jersey | 800 | |
| USA Healthcare | Cullman, Alabama | 700 | Closure |
| Mci | Wichita, Kansas | 566 | |
| Medco Health Solution | Parsippany, New Jersey | 461 | |
| Galey & Lord Industries | Shannon, Georgia | 460 | |
| Pasco Beverage | North Dade City, Florida | 360 | |
| Dal Global Services | Atlanta, Georgia | 305 | |
| Marta | Atlanta, Georgia | 304 | |
| United Steel Products | East, Pennsylvania | 270 | Closure |
| Cordis | Miami Lakes, Florida | 265 |
The single largest action involved Norvergence in Newark, New Jersey, reporting 800 affected workers. USA Healthcare followed with 700 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores 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 June 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.