Pennsylvania Layoffs — May 2009
Employers in Pennsylvania filed 12 WARN Act notices in May 2009, impacting roughly 1,198 workers — representing a notable rise over April and down 15% versus May 2008. The average filing covered 100 workers, with 7 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7 | 623 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 232 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 132 |
| Transportation | 1 | 113 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 98 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 623 workers across 7 notices. In a parallel development, Healthcare reported 232 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Luzerne | 1 | 232 |
| Montgomery | 2 | 225 |
| Cumberland | 1 | 208 |
| Allegheny | 1 | 119 |
| Westmoreland | 1 | 116 |
Luzerne saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 19% of all affected workers with 232 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wilkes-Barre | 1 | 232 |
| Shippensburg | 1 | 208 |
| Willow Grove | 1 | 127 |
| Pittsburgh | 1 | 119 |
| Monessen | 1 | 116 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 5 | 724 |
| Closure | 7 | 474 |
Closures accounted for 40% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geisinger South | Wilkes-Barre | 232 | Layoff | |
| JLG Industries | Shippensburg | 208 | Layoff | |
| Hunter Douglas Fabrication | Willow Grove | 127 | Closure | |
| Eckert Seamans | Pittsburgh | 119 | Layoff | |
| ArcelorMittal Holdings | Monessen | 116 | Layoff | |
| Yrc | Philadelphia | 113 | Closure | |
| Idearc Media | Norristown | 98 | Closure | |
| Phillips-Van Heausen | Schuylkill Haven | 75 | Closure | |
| Salem Tube | Greenville | 49 | Layoff | |
| Graham Packaging | Levittown | 45 | Closure | |
| BearingPoint | Radnor | 13 | Closure | |
| Rohm and Haas | Philadelphia | 3 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Geisinger South at its Wilkes-Barre facility, reporting 232 affected workers. JLG Industries followed with 208 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores 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.