US Layoffs — November 2005
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 90 WARN Act notices in November 2005, involving roughly 14,356 workers — climbing above October and up 31% versus November 2004. Filings came from 15 states and territories, with an average of 160 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 15 | 6,096 |
| Ohio | 17 | 2,397 |
| Texas | 11 | 1,432 |
| New Jersey | 8 | 801 |
| Florida | 7 | 633 |
| Maryland | 3 | 607 |
| Georgia | 9 | 498 |
| Alabama | 3 | 463 |
| Washington | 7 | 375 |
| Kansas | 2 | 373 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 357 |
| Michigan | 3 | 161 |
| Iowa | 1 | 80 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 52 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 31 |
Pennsylvania led the nation with 6,096 workers affected across 15 notices , followed by Ohio (2,397 workers) and Texas (1,432 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 12 | 6,167 |
| Manufacturing | 31 | 3,870 |
| Information & Technology | 16 | 1,236 |
| Finance & Insurance | 5 | 698 |
| Transportation | 5 | 594 |
| Accommodation & Food | 4 | 349 |
| Retail | 4 | 329 |
| Professional Services | 3 | 175 |
| Government | 3 | 171 |
| Utilities | 1 | 102 |
The Healthcare sector dominated layoff filings with 6,167 workers across 12 notices. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 3,870 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 20 | 6,302 |
| Closure | 15 | 1,868 |
Closures accounted for 13% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Health Partners Mercy Hospital | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | 913 | Layoff |
| Mercy Health Partners Mercy Med-Care | Scranton, Pennsylvania | 913 | Layoff |
| Mercy Health Partners Northeast Region | Scranton, Pennsylvania | 913 | Layoff |
| Mercy Health Partners Mercy Diagnostic Center | Mountain Top, Pennsylvania | 913 | Layoff |
| Mercy Health Partners Mercy Family Health Center | Dallas, Pennsylvania | 913 | Layoff |
| Mercy Health Partners Mercy-Med Care | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | 913 | Layoff |
| ORMET Primary Aluminum | Hannibal, Ohio | 650 | |
| Genco | Perryville, Maryland | 378 | Closure |
| Washington Mutual Bank, Inc. - El Paso | El Paso, Texas | 371 | |
| Lockheed Martin Aeronautics | Fort Worth, Texas | 335 |
The biggest impact was at Mercy Health Partners Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, reporting 913 affected workers. Mercy Health Partners Mercy Med-Care followed with 913 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
This data points to mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Healthcare sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in November 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.