Pennsylvania Layoffs — October 2008
Employers in Pennsylvania submitted 13 WARN Act notices in October 2008, putting at risk an estimated 1,771 workers — up substantially from September and down 14% versus October 2007. The average filing covered 136 workers, with 9 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5 | 726 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 581 |
| Finance & Insurance | 3 | 180 |
| Construction | 1 | 146 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 75 |
| Transportation | 1 | 63 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 726 workers across 5 notices. Separately, Information & Technology reported 581 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 1 | 457 |
| Berks | 1 | 252 |
| Montgomery | 3 | 243 |
| Beaver | 1 | 209 |
| Northumberland | 1 | 146 |
Delaware saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 26% of all affected workers with 457 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Thornton | 1 | 457 |
| Reading | 1 | 252 |
| Midland | 1 | 209 |
| Milton | 1 | 146 |
| Oaks | 1 | 124 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 9 | 986 |
| Layoff | 4 | 785 |
The high proportion of closures (56% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The GEO Group, Inc. George W. Hill Correctional Facility | Thornton | 457 | Layoff | |
| The Hershey | Reading | 252 | Closure | |
| ATI Allegheny Ludlum | Midland | 209 | Layoff | |
| Crest Homes | Milton | 146 | Closure | |
| Comcast Eastern Division HQ | Oaks | 124 | Closure | |
| Bank of America | Hatboro | 109 | Layoff | |
| The Commodore | Shippenville | 107 | Closure | |
| International Automotive Components | Carlisle | 90 | Closure | |
| Eighty Four Mining Company Mine 84 | Washington | 75 | Closure | |
| Napco | Valencia | 68 | Closure | |
| Faiveley Transport USA | Exton | 63 | Closure | |
| M&T Bank | Lancaster | 61 | Closure | |
| Interbay Funding | Ft. Washington | 10 | Layoff |
Topping the list was The GEO Group, Inc. George W. Hill Correctional Facility at its Thornton facility, reporting 457 affected workers. The Hershey followed with 252 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight 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.