US Layoffs — August 2005
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 149 WARN Act notices in August 2005, impacting roughly 12,875 workers — representing a notable rise over July and down 3% versus August 2004. Filings came from 12 states and territories, with an average of 86 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 70 | 4,429 |
| Florida | 12 | 1,811 |
| Pennsylvania | 17 | 1,454 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 1,169 |
| Texas | 15 | 860 |
| Ohio | 5 | 817 |
| Maryland | 4 | 714 |
| Michigan | 6 | 398 |
| Kansas | 5 | 390 |
| Washington | 6 | 346 |
| Alabama | 3 | 336 |
| Iowa | 1 | 151 |
Georgia led the nation with 4,429 workers affected across 70 notices , followed by Florida (1,811 workers) and Pennsylvania (1,454 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 44 | 5,421 |
| Retail | 68 | 3,696 |
| Information & Technology | 11 | 1,055 |
| Finance & Insurance | 8 | 751 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 415 |
| Transportation | 4 | 268 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 264 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 194 |
| Professional Services | 3 | 164 |
| Government | 1 | 130 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 5,421 workers across 44 notices. In a parallel development, Retail reported 3,696 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 19 | 2,087 |
| Layoff | 18 | 1,312 |
Closures accounted for 16% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glass Group | Millville, New Jersey | 600 | |
| Mci | Alpharetta, Georgia | 587 | |
| Titan Cruise Lines | St. Petersburg, Florida | 415 | |
| Atlantic Sugar Associ | Belle Glade, Florida | 344 | |
| Mci | Hunt Valley, Maryland | 306 | Closure |
| Carlisle Engineered Products | Lake City, Pennsylvania | 295 | Closure |
| US Agri-Chemicals | Fort Meade, Florida | 281 | |
| Bmk | Carrollton, Texas | 279 | |
| Pfaltzgraff | Thomasville, Pennsylvania | 270 | Layoff |
| Harbor Court Hotel | Baltimore City, Maryland | 264 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Glass Group in Millville, New Jersey, reporting 600 affected workers. Mci followed with 587 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores 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 August 2005. 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.