Pennsylvania Layoffs — May 2018
Employers in Pennsylvania filed 15 WARN Act notices in May 2018, impacting roughly 1,436 workers — representing a pullback from April and down 12% versus May 2017. The average filing covered 96 workers, with 12 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 8 | 680 |
| Professional Services | 4 | 364 |
| Transportation | 1 | 261 |
| Education | 1 | 67 |
| Construction | 1 | 64 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 680 workers across 8 notices. In a parallel development, Professional Services reported 364 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 1 | 275 |
| Northampton | 1 | 261 |
| Lancaster | 3 | 247 |
| Allegheny | 4 | 232 |
| Lebanon | 1 | 112 |
Philadelphia saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 19% of all affected workers with 275 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 1 | 275 |
| Nazareth | 1 | 261 |
| Creighton | 2 | 154 |
| Lancaster | 2 | 154 |
| Lebanon | 1 | 112 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 12 | 824 |
| Layoff | 3 | 612 |
The high proportion of closures (57% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc. (PSI) | Philadelphia | 275 | Layoff | |
| NFI Interactive Logistics | Nazareth | 261 | Layoff | |
| Pittsburgh Glass Works | Creighton | 148 | Closure | |
| Benson Industries | Lebanon | 112 | Closure | |
| Ibex | Indiana | 105 | Closure | |
| Worley & Obeetz | Manheim | 93 | Closure | |
| Worley & Obeetz | Lancaster | 90 | Closure | |
| Carnegie Museum of Art | Pittsburgh | 76 | Layoff | |
| Medtronic | Bala Cynwyd | 76 | Closure | |
| Durham Schools Services | Chester Township | 67 | Closure | |
| Worley & Obetz | Lancaster | 64 | Closure | |
| Johnson & Johnson | Wayne | 43 | Closure | |
| Edwards Brothers Malloy | Blue Ridge Summit | 18 | Closure | |
| Pittsburgh Glass Works | Creighton | 6 | Closure | |
| IndoCarb | Pittsburgh | 2 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc. (PSI) at its Philadelphia facility, reporting 275 affected workers. NFI Interactive Logistics followed with 261 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores a easing in workforce disruptions across Pennsylvania, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. 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.