Pennsylvania Layoffs — May 2017
Employers in Pennsylvania reported 15 WARN Act notices in May 2017, displacing an estimated 1,634 workers — signaling an acceleration from April and up 34% versus May 2016. The average filing covered 109 workers, with 10 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 6 | 831 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 179 |
| Retail | 1 | 118 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 112 |
| Transportation | 2 | 106 |
| Utilities | 1 | 99 |
| Education | 1 | 75 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 61 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 831 workers across 6 notices. Notably, Accommodation & Food reported 179 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery | 2 | 410 |
| Allegheny | 3 | 398 |
| Philadelphia | 2 | 301 |
| Bucks | 2 | 154 |
| Washington | 2 | 147 |
Montgomery saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 25% of all affected workers with 410 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | 3 | 398 |
| Philadelphia | 2 | 301 |
| Horsham | 1 | 292 |
| King of Prussia | 1 | 118 |
| Bristol | 1 | 114 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 10 | 1,102 |
| Layoff | 5 | 532 |
The high proportion of closures (67% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kellogg | Horsham | 292 | Closure | |
| Kellogg Company RIDC Park | Pittsburgh | 211 | Closure | |
| Blossom Philadelphia | Philadelphia | 179 | Layoff | |
| IROKO Pharmaceuticals | Philadelphia | 122 | Layoff | |
| JCPenney | King of Prussia | 118 | Closure | |
| Hubbell Lighting | Bristol | 114 | Closure | |
| Bank of America | Pittsburgh | 112 | Layoff | |
| Noble Energy | Cannonsburg | 99 | Closure | |
| Education Management II, LLC (EDMC) | Pittsburgh | 75 | Closure | |
| Schenker | Mechanicsburg | 66 | Layoff | |
| Sodexo Elk Regional Health Center - St. Mary's Penn Highlands | St. Mary's | 61 | Closure | |
| Verizon Communications/ XO Communication Services | Wyomissing | 53 | Layoff | |
| Caterpillar | Houston | 48 | Closure | |
| Mark Line Industries of Pennsylvania | Ephrata | 44 | Closure | |
| First Student | Palisades | 40 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Kellogg at its Horsham facility, reporting 292 affected workers. Kellogg Company RIDC Park followed with 211 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.