Pennsylvania Layoffs — March 2009
Employers in Pennsylvania reported 20 WARN Act notices in March 2009, displacing an estimated 1,681 workers — signaling an acceleration from February and up 127% versus March 2008. The average filing covered 84 workers, with 11 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 9 | 727 |
| Transportation | 5 | 356 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 250 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 160 |
| Retail | 2 | 109 |
| Finance & Insurance | 2 | 79 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 727 workers across 9 notices. Notably, Transportation reported 356 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Mercer | 2 | 348 |
| Dauphin | 2 | 306 |
| Allegheny | 3 | 178 |
| Montgomery | 3 | 164 |
| Cambria | 1 | 160 |
Mercer was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 21% of all affected workers with 348 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville | 1 | 310 |
| Harrisburg | 2 | 306 |
| Johnstown | 1 | 160 |
| Bessemer | 1 | 113 |
| Pittsburgh | 2 | 101 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 11 | 1,211 |
| Layoff | 9 | 470 |
The high proportion of closures (72% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signature Aluminum | Greenville | 310 | Closure | |
| Aramark | Harrisburg | 250 | Closure | |
| Call Center HR | Johnstown | 160 | Closure | |
| Essroc Cement | Bessemer | 113 | Layoff | |
| Amazon | Chambersburg | 88 | Closure | |
| Carolina Logistics | Mountville | 77 | Closure | |
| United States Steel Corporation, Mon Valley Works | Clairton | 77 | Layoff | |
| USF Holland | Philadelphia | 72 | Closure | |
| Morton Metalcraft | Bedford | 63 | Layoff | |
| Sportsman's Warehouse | Pittsburgh | 63 | Closure | |
| General Mills Operations | Hazel Township | 56 | Closure | |
| USF Holland | Harrisburg | 56 | Closure | |
| Finisar | Horsham | 55 | Layoff | |
| Kmart | Norristown | 55 | Layoff | |
| Kmart | Eagleville | 54 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from Signature Aluminum at its Greenville facility, reporting 310 affected workers. Aramark followed with 250 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the Pennsylvania 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 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.