US Layoffs — November 2003
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 117 WARN Act notices in November 2003, putting at risk an estimated 21,215 workers — up substantially from October and up 83% versus November 2002. Filings came from 11 states and territories, with an average of 181 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 17 | 5,548 |
| Ohio | 24 | 5,215 |
| Texas | 19 | 2,366 |
| Florida | 15 | 2,247 |
| Alabama | 9 | 1,734 |
| Michigan | 7 | 1,600 |
| Illinois | 5 | 909 |
| Georgia | 8 | 874 |
| Maryland | 3 | 346 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 288 |
| Kansas | 8 | 88 |
Pennsylvania led the nation with 5,548 workers affected across 17 notices , followed by Ohio (5,215 workers) and Texas (2,366 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 47 | 11,927 |
| Information & Technology | 20 | 2,940 |
| Retail | 19 | 1,801 |
| Transportation | 2 | 1,467 |
| Finance & Insurance | 6 | 769 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 656 |
| Professional Services | 5 | 561 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 500 |
| Government | 2 | 137 |
| Accommodation & Food | 4 | 136 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 11,927 workers across 47 notices. Separately, Information & Technology reported 2,940 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 22 | 6,876 |
| Closure | 27 | 3,349 |
Closures accounted for 16% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merck | North Wales, Pennsylvania | 4,400 | Layoff |
| WCISteel | Warren, Ohio | 1,705 | |
| Csx | Jacksonville, Florida | 1,000 | |
| GM (Lansing Car Ass'y) | Lansing, Michigan | 920 | Layoff |
| Computer Sciences | Huntsville, Alabama | 667 | Layoff |
| Convergys Customer Management Group | Toledo, Ohio | 560 | |
| Sky Chefs | Chicago, Illinois | 500 | Closure |
| Southwest Airlines | Grand Prairie, Texas | 467 | |
| Deaconess Hospital | Cleveland, Ohio | 396 | |
| Management & Training Corporation (MTC) | Dallas, Texas | 394 |
Topping the list was Merck in North Wales, Pennsylvania, reporting 4,400 affected workers. WCISteel followed with 1,705 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight 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 November 2003. 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.