Pennsylvania Layoffs — August 2021
Employers in Pennsylvania logged 5 WARN Act notices in August 2021, involving roughly 537 workers — climbing above July and down 79% versus August 2020. The average filing covered 107 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2 | 371 |
| Retail | 1 | 60 |
| Education | 1 | 58 |
| Transportation | 1 | 48 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 371 workers across 2 notices. Meanwhile, Retail reported 60 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Cumberland | 1 | 308 |
| Delaware | 1 | 63 |
| Allegheny | 1 | 60 |
| Dauphin | 1 | 58 |
| York | 1 | 48 |
Cumberland was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 57% of all affected workers with 308 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Carlisle | 1 | 308 |
| Chester Township | 1 | 63 |
| Leetsdale | 1 | 60 |
| Harrisburg | 1 | 58 |
| Glen Rock | 1 | 48 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 416 |
| Layoff | 2 | 121 |
The high proportion of closures (77% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Pennsylvania's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glaxo Smith Kline | Carlisle | 308 | Closure | |
| Alloy Surfaces | Chester Township | 63 | Layoff | |
| Lucky Vitamin | Leetsdale | 60 | Closure | |
| Aramark at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center | Harrisburg | 58 | Layoff | |
| Warehouse Services | Glen Rock | 48 | Closure |
The biggest impact was at Glaxo Smith Kline at its Carlisle facility, reporting 308 affected workers. Alloy Surfaces followed with 63 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to a mixed picture for Pennsylvania's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. 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.