New Jersey Layoffs — May 2005
Employers in New Jersey reported 12 WARN Act notices in May 2005, displacing an estimated 1,523 workers — signaling an acceleration from April and up 253% versus May 2004. The average filing covered 127 workers, with 0 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5 | 893 |
| Retail | 1 | 230 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 221 |
| Transportation | 1 | 88 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 47 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 27 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 17 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 893 workers across 5 notices. Notably, Retail reported 230 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Union | 1 | 388 |
| Middlesex | 3 | 365 |
| Somerset | 2 | 357 |
| Hudson | 1 | 221 |
| Essex | 1 | 100 |
Union absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 25% of all affected workers with 388 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Union | 1 | 388 |
| Bridgewater | 1 | 340 |
| Edison | 2 | 318 |
| Jersey City | 1 | 221 |
| Newark | 1 | 100 |
Layoff Type Analysis
Layoff type classification was not available for filings in New Jersey this month.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscan | Union | 388 | ||
| Biovail Pharm | Bridgewater | 340 | ||
| Atlantic & Pacific Tea | Edison | 230 | ||
| St. Francis Medical Ctr | Jersey City | 221 | ||
| Interstate Brands | Newark | 100 | ||
| Penske Logistics | Edison | 88 | ||
| Odyssey Pharm | Florham Park | 51 | ||
| Duramed Research | Plainsboro | 47 | ||
| Cingular Wireless | Paramus | 19 | ||
| Chubb & Son | Warren | 17 | ||
| US Aluminum | Haskell | 14 | ||
| Cingular Wireless | Paramus | 8 |
The most significant filing came from Tuscan at its Union facility, reporting 388 affected workers. Biovail Pharm followed with 340 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the New Jersey labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by New Jersey. 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 New Jersey WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.