Pennsylvania Layoffs — May 2019
Employers in Pennsylvania recorded 16 WARN Act notices in May 2019, covering approximately 2,611 workers — marking a sharp increase from April and up 82% versus May 2018. The average filing covered 163 workers, with 12 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7 | 1,540 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 430 |
| Healthcare | 4 | 315 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 180 |
| Transportation | 2 | 146 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 1,540 workers across 7 notices. At the same time, Information & Technology reported 430 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Snyder | 1 | 938 |
| Berks | 2 | 430 |
| Westmoreland | 2 | 181 |
| York | 1 | 180 |
| Elk | 1 | 171 |
Snyder saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 36% of all affected workers with 938 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kreamer | 1 | 938 |
| Reading | 2 | 430 |
| Red Lion | 1 | 180 |
| St. Mary's | 1 | 171 |
| Pittsburgh | 2 | 162 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 12 | 2,265 |
| Layoff | 4 | 346 |
The high proportion of closures (87% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood-Mode | Kreamer | 938 | Closure | |
| Reading Eagle | Reading | 221 | Closure | |
| Reading Eagle | Reading | 209 | Closure | |
| Specialty Finance and Consulting Corporation, Specialty Industries Inc., NuPak Printing | Red Lion | 180 | Closure | |
| Ledvance | St. Mary's | 171 | Closure | |
| Bimbo Bakers USA | West Hazleton | 151 | Closure | |
| Akers National Roll | Avonmore | 119 | Closure | |
| Gateway Health Plan | Pittsburgh | 100 | Layoff | |
| Keystone Peer Review Organization (KEPRO) | Harrisburg | 100 | Layoff | |
| Hallcon | Bethlehem | 84 | Layoff | |
| AdvanSix | Pottsville | 83 | Closure | |
| DePuy Synthes Sales, Inc. (subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) | West Chester | 76 | Closure | |
| First Student | Mt. Pleasant | 62 | Closure | |
| YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | 62 | Layoff | |
| Youth Services Agency | Doylestown | 53 | Closure |
Leading the list was Wood-Mode at its Kreamer facility, reporting 938 affected workers. Reading Eagle followed with 221 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The filings reflect 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.