US Layoffs — December 1999
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 32 WARN Act notices in December 1999, covering approximately 3,274 workers — marking a sharp increase from November and up 17% versus December 1998. Filings came from 5 states and territories, with an average of 102 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 6 | 1,193 |
| Texas | 13 | 1,055 |
| Florida | 8 | 646 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 380 |
| Kansas | 1 | 0 |
Ohio led the nation with 1,193 workers affected across 6 notices , followed by Texas (1,055 workers) and Florida (646 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 11 | 1,102 |
| Healthcare | 8 | 684 |
| Finance & Insurance | 2 | 444 |
| Retail | 4 | 327 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 243 |
| Government | 1 | 120 |
| Utilities | 1 | 116 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100 |
| Transportation | 1 | 98 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 40 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 1,102 workers across 11 notices. At the same time, Healthcare reported 684 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 346 |
| Relocation | 1 | 0 |
| Layoff | 1 | 0 |
Closures accounted for 11% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| INTERMET Corp. (Ironton Iron) | Ironton, Ohio | 619 | |
| Ardco | Allegre, Kentucky | 335 | Closure |
| Telxon | Fairlawn, Ohio | 183 | |
| Bay County Behavioral Health Center | Panama City, Florida | 179 | |
| Baylor Medical Center - Ellis County | Ennis, Texas | 153 | |
| Saint Luke's Medical Center | Cleveland, Ohio | 134 | |
| Angelica Textile Services | Miami, Florida | 120 | |
| Columbia Energy Services | Houston, Texas | 116 | |
| NuTone | Coppell, Texas | 115 | |
| The Image Bank | Dallas, Texas | 109 |
Leading the list was INTERMET Corp. (Ironton Iron) in Ironton, Ohio, reporting 619 affected workers. Ardco followed with 335 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in December 1999. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is sourced from official state filings and updated daily by LaborCurrent, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.