Pennsylvania Layoffs — April 2009
Employers in Pennsylvania posted 9 WARN Act notices in April 2009, affecting an estimated 800 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to March and up 111% versus April 2008. The average filing covered 89 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4 | 514 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 250 |
| Information & Technology | 3 | 36 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 514 workers across 4 notices. On a related front, Professional Services reported 250 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | 2 | 280 |
| Philadelphia | 1 | 235 |
| Bedford | 1 | 169 |
| Lebanon | 1 | 65 |
| Montgomery | 1 | 24 |
Lancaster felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 35% of all affected workers with 280 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Plhiladelphia | 1 | 235 |
| Ephrata | 1 | 195 |
| Bedford | 1 | 169 |
| Mt. Joy | 1 | 85 |
| Jonestown | 1 | 65 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 8 | 605 |
| Closure | 1 | 195 |
Closures accounted for 24% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WolfBlock | Plhiladelphia | 235 | Layoff | |
| American Lafrance | Ephrata | 195 | Closure | |
| Cannondale Bedford | Bedford | 169 | Layoff | |
| Donsco | Mt. Joy | 85 | Layoff | |
| Supreme Mid-Atlantic | Jonestown | 65 | Layoff | |
| Sun Microsystems | King of Prussia | 24 | Layoff | |
| WolfBlock | Harrisburg | 15 | Layoff | |
| Sun Microsystems | Pittsburgh | 8 | Layoff | |
| Sun Microsystems | Lemoyne | 4 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by WolfBlock at its Plhiladelphia facility, reporting 235 affected workers. American Lafrance followed with 195 workers.
Trend & Outlook
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.