Pennsylvania Layoffs — August 2008
Employers in Pennsylvania posted 9 WARN Act notices in August 2008, affecting an estimated 1,443 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to July and up 2022% versus August 2007. The average filing covered 160 workers, with 8 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 4 | 585 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 500 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | 190 |
| Transportation | 1 | 88 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 80 |
The Retail sector saw the heaviest impact with 585 workers across 4 notices. On a related front, Healthcare reported 500 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Chester | 1 | 500 |
| Allegheny | 2 | 304 |
| Bucks | 2 | 215 |
| Montgomery | 1 | 146 |
| Clarion | 1 | 129 |
Chester was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 35% of all affected workers with 500 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Malvern | 1 | 500 |
| Pittsburgh | 1 | 175 |
| North Wales | 1 | 146 |
| Langhorne | 1 | 135 |
| Monroeville | 1 | 129 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 8 | 943 |
| Layoff | 1 | 500 |
The high proportion of closures (65% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siemens Medical Solutions USA | Malvern | 500 | Layoff | |
| Boscov's | Pittsburgh | 175 | Closure | |
| Boscov's | North Wales | 146 | Closure | |
| Boscov's Dept. Store | Langhorne | 135 | Closure | |
| Boscov's | Monroeville | 129 | Closure | |
| Sealy Mattress | Clarion | 129 | Closure | |
| Acme Distribution Centers | Harrisburg | 88 | Closure | |
| Wachovia | Bensalem | 80 | Closure | |
| Leggett & Platt | Nanticoke | 61 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Siemens Medical Solutions USA at its Malvern facility, reporting 500 affected workers. Boscov's followed with 175 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest mounting pressure on the Pennsylvania labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Retail 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.