Pennsylvania Layoffs — January 2018
Employers in Pennsylvania reported 21 WARN Act notices in January 2018, displacing an estimated 2,389 workers — signaling an acceleration from December and up 476% versus January 2017. The average filing covered 114 workers, with 13 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7 | 791 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 462 |
| Retail | 4 | 436 |
| Information & Technology | 3 | 188 |
| Accommodation & Food | 2 | 164 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 160 |
| Transportation | 1 | 136 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 52 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 791 workers across 7 notices. Notably, Healthcare reported 462 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Dauphin | 1 | 389 |
| Greene | 1 | 370 |
| Allegheny | 3 | 213 |
| Luzerne | 1 | 202 |
| Lehigh | 3 | 188 |
Dauphin bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 16% of all affected workers with 389 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg | 1 | 389 |
| Dilliner | 1 | 370 |
| Wilkes-Barre | 1 | 202 |
| Emmaus | 3 | 188 |
| Olyphant | 1 | 160 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 13 | 1,221 |
| Layoff | 8 | 1,168 |
The high proportion of closures (51% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sodexo, Inc., UPMC Pinnacle Health System, Community Hospital, Harrisburg, Poly Clinic | Harrisburg | 389 | Layoff | |
| Mepco | Dilliner | 370 | Closure | |
| Lord & Taylor | Wilkes-Barre | 202 | Layoff | |
| Technicolor Home Entertainment Services | Olyphant | 160 | Layoff | |
| Rodale Payroll, LLC (subsidiary of Hearst Magazines, Inc) | Emmaus | 145 | Closure | |
| Ryder Integrated Logistics Mattel Facility | Jonestown | 136 | Layoff | |
| John Middleton | Limerick | 118 | Closure | |
| Sears #01084 | Philadelphia | 103 | Closure | |
| ESPA Associates, LLC Embassy Suites Pittsburgh Airport | Coraopolis | 100 | Closure | |
| TEVA Pharmaceuticals | Frazer | 96 | Layoff | |
| Kmart Store #04874 | Franklin | 79 | Closure | |
| Sodexo, Inc. Pinnacle Health System - West Shore Hospital | Mechanicsburg | 73 | Layoff | |
| TEVA Pharmaceuticals | Horsham | 65 | Layoff | |
| Gordon Food Service | York | 64 | Closure | |
| Pittsburgh Glass Works | Creighton | 61 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Sodexo, Inc., UPMC Pinnacle Health System, Community Hospital, Harrisburg, Poly Clinic at its Harrisburg facility, reporting 389 affected workers. Mepco followed with 370 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
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.