US Layoffs — October 2004
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers recorded 78 WARN Act notices in October 2004, covering approximately 10,395 workers — marking a decline from September and roughly flat versus October 2003. Filings came from 12 states and territories, with an average of 133 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 13 | 2,327 |
| Georgia | 11 | 1,912 |
| Florida | 16 | 1,671 |
| Ohio | 6 | 1,157 |
| New Jersey | 8 | 1,110 |
| Michigan | 4 | 751 |
| Alabama | 4 | 399 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 362 |
| Pennsylvania | 7 | 240 |
| Maryland | 2 | 218 |
| Washington | 2 | 150 |
| Kansas | 2 | 98 |
Texas led the nation with 2,327 workers affected across 13 notices , followed by Georgia (1,912 workers) and Florida (1,671 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 42 | 4,927 |
| Healthcare | 4 | 1,444 |
| Finance & Insurance | 9 | 1,353 |
| Information & Technology | 6 | 1,221 |
| Professional Services | 3 | 393 |
| Accommodation & Food | 2 | 150 |
| Retail | 2 | 129 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3 | 112 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 55 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 4,927 workers across 42 notices. At the same time, Healthcare reported 1,444 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 10 | 951 |
| Layoff | 9 | 807 |
Closures accounted for 9% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas | Fort Worth, Texas | 1,188 | |
| Glad Manufacturing | Cartersville, Georgia | 475 | |
| Cingular Wireless | Woodbridge, New Jersey | 387 | |
| Metropolitan Life Insurance Comp | Southfield, Michigan | 370 | Layoff |
| Capital One Services | Tampa, Florida | 362 | |
| Kellogg's | Columbus, Ohio | 309 | |
| Inflation Systems | Lagrange, Georgia | 308 | |
| Burner Systems International | Mansfield, Ohio | 297 | |
| At&t-conyers | Conyers, Georgia | 279 | |
| Trinity Universal Insurance | Dallas, Texas | 277 |
Leading the list was Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas in Fort Worth, Texas, reporting 1,188 affected workers. Glad Manufacturing followed with 475 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The filings reflect 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 October 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.