Pennsylvania Layoffs — September 2018
Employers in Pennsylvania recorded 6 WARN Act notices in September 2018, covering approximately 898 workers — marking a sharp increase from August and up 247% versus September 2017. The average filing covered 150 workers, with 5 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 1 | 641 |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 138 |
| Transportation | 1 | 92 |
| Government | 1 | 27 |
The Retail sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 641 workers across 1 notice. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 138 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | 1 | 641 |
| Bedford | 1 | 92 |
| Schuylkill | 1 | 71 |
| Blair | 1 | 50 |
| Philadelphia | 1 | 27 |
Lancaster felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 71% of all affected workers with 641 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | 1 | 641 |
| Bedford | 1 | 92 |
| Frackville | 1 | 71 |
| Claysburg | 1 | 50 |
| Philadelphia | 1 | 27 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 5 | 881 |
| Layoff | 1 | 17 |
The high proportion of closures (98% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darrenkamp's | Lancaster | 641 | Closure | |
| CEVA Logistics | Bedford | 92 | Closure | |
| Elbeco | Frackville | 71 | Closure | |
| Harbison Walker International, Sproul Plant | Claysburg | 50 | Closure | |
| GEO Reentry Services Walker Hall Facility | Philadelphia | 27 | Closure | |
| ArcelorMittal Plate | Conshohocken | 17 | Layoff |
Leading the list was Darrenkamp's at its Lancaster facility, reporting 641 affected workers. CEVA Logistics followed with 92 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect mounting pressure on the Pennsylvania labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Retail 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.