US Layoffs — December 2002
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 131 WARN Act notices in December 2002, covering approximately 33,789 workers — marking a sharp increase from November and up 102% versus December 2001. Filings came from 10 states and territories, with an average of 258 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 15 | 20,630 |
| Texas | 40 | 4,828 |
| Florida | 18 | 2,316 |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | 1,773 |
| Ohio | 12 | 1,075 |
| Maryland | 6 | 990 |
| Georgia | 10 | 940 |
| Alabama | 3 | 871 |
| Michigan | 6 | 366 |
| Kansas | 6 | 0 |
Illinois led the nation with 20,630 workers affected across 15 notices , followed by Texas (4,828 workers) and Florida (2,316 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 20 | 20,557 |
| Manufacturing | 60 | 7,703 |
| Professional Services | 9 | 1,021 |
| Information & Technology | 10 | 850 |
| Finance & Insurance | 6 | 831 |
| Utilities | 8 | 746 |
| Retail | 6 | 628 |
| Government | 1 | 177 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 125 |
| Real Estate | 1 | 91 |
The Transportation sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 20,557 workers across 20 notices. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 7,703 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 25 | 20,695 |
| Closure | 26 | 3,935 |
Closures accounted for 12% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | Chicago, Illinois | 14,487 | Layoff |
| United Airlines | Elk Grove Village, Illinois | 4,149 | Layoff |
| Black & Decker | Easton, Maryland | 800 | Closure |
| Tyson Foods | Jacksonville, Florida | 737 | |
| Opp & Micolas Mills (Johnston Industries) | Opp, Alabama | 647 | Closure |
| Sun Apparel | El Paso, Texas | 450 | |
| Culinary Foods | Chicago, Illinois | 447 | Layoff |
| Sara Lee Underwear (J.E. Morgan Knitting Mill) [Textile Operations] | Tamaqua, Pennsylvania | 420 | Layoff |
| American Airlines - Dallas | Dallas, Texas | 415 | |
| US Airways Orlando Reservation Center | Orlando, Florida | 353 |
Leading the list was United Airlines in Chicago, Illinois, reporting 14,487 affected workers. United Airlines followed with 4,149 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 Transportation sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in December 2002. 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 WARN Firehose, 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.