Pennsylvania Layoffs — October 2006
Employers in Pennsylvania posted 9 WARN Act notices in October 2006, affecting an estimated 1,101 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to September and down 28% versus October 2005. The average filing covered 122 workers, with 5 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4 | 470 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 301 |
| Real Estate | 1 | 182 |
| Retail | 1 | 90 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 58 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 470 workers across 4 notices. On a related front, Professional Services reported 301 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Erie | 2 | 312 |
| Berks | 2 | 240 |
| Franklin | 1 | 168 |
| Lawrence | 1 | 133 |
| Columbia | 1 | 100 |
Erie saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 28% of all affected workers with 312 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 2 | 240 |
| Erie | 1 | 182 |
| Waynesboro | 1 | 168 |
| New Castle | 1 | 133 |
| North East | 1 | 130 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 5 | 593 |
| Layoff | 4 | 508 |
The high proportion of closures (54% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cott Beverages | Reading | 200 | Closure | |
| Rentway | Erie | 182 | Layoff | |
| Regency Thermographers | Waynesboro | 168 | Layoff | |
| Reese Teleservice | New Castle | 133 | Closure | |
| Brake Parts, Inc. (Affinia) | North East | 130 | Closure | |
| Cheetah Chassis | Berwick | 100 | Layoff | |
| Sears Roebuck and | Allentown | 90 | Closure | |
| Mellon Bank | Pittsburgh | 58 | Layoff | |
| Cott Beverages | Reading | 40 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Cott Beverages at its Reading facility, reporting 200 affected workers. Rentway followed with 182 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for Pennsylvania's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.