Maryland Layoffs — November 2008
Employers in Maryland reported 7 WARN Act notices in November 2008, displacing an estimated 605 workers — signaling an acceleration from October and up 62% versus November 2007. The average filing covered 86 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 380 |
| Construction | 1 | 110 |
| Retail | 1 | 108 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 7 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 380 workers across 3 notices. Notably, Construction reported 110 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | 1 | 147 |
| Anne Arundel | 1 | 120 |
| Allegany | 1 | 113 |
| Frederick | 1 | 110 |
| Prince George's | 1 | 108 |
Baltimore felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 24% of all affected workers with 147 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Owings Mills | 1 | 147 |
| Glen Burnie | 1 | 120 |
| Cumberland | 1 | 113 |
| Thurmont | 1 | 110 |
| Marlow Heights | 1 | 108 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 341 |
| Layoff | 4 | 264 |
The high proportion of closures (56% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Maryland's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo Cup Operating | Owings Mills | 147 | Layoff | |
| Harland Clarke | Glen Burnie | 120 | Closure | |
| Brunswick | Cumberland | 113 | Closure | |
| Structural Systems | Thurmont | 110 | Layoff | |
| Circuit City Stores | Marlow Heights | 108 | Closure | |
| Sun Microsystems | Columbia | 5 | Layoff | |
| Sun Microsystems | Annapolis Junction | 2 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from Solo Cup Operating at its Owings Mills facility, reporting 147 affected workers. Harland Clarke followed with 120 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the Maryland labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Maryland. 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 Maryland WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.