US Layoffs — March 2004
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers logged 178 WARN Act notices in March 2004, involving roughly 19,287 workers — climbing above February and down 3% versus March 2003. Filings came from 14 states and territories, with an average of 108 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 11 | 2,585 |
| Illinois | 11 | 2,578 |
| Texas | 76 | 2,531 |
| Washington | 7 | 2,391 |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 2,233 |
| Florida | 16 | 1,374 |
| Michigan | 10 | 1,365 |
| Maryland | 5 | 1,015 |
| Alabama | 3 | 882 |
| Georgia | 5 | 783 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 779 |
| New Jersey | 10 | 671 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 100 |
| Kansas | 1 | 0 |
Ohio led the nation with 2,585 workers affected across 11 notices , followed by Illinois (2,578 workers) and Texas (2,531 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 42 | 8,040 |
| Transportation | 8 | 2,268 |
| Finance & Insurance | 16 | 2,258 |
| Information & Technology | 11 | 1,751 |
| Healthcare | 11 | 1,499 |
| Retail | 55 | 1,424 |
| Professional Services | 5 | 498 |
| Real Estate | 3 | 352 |
| Utilities | 3 | 259 |
| Agriculture | 3 | 239 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 8,040 workers across 42 notices. Meanwhile, Transportation reported 2,268 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 34 | 7,118 |
| Layoff | 19 | 3,346 |
Closures accounted for 37% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airborne Express | Seattle, Washington | 1,000 | Closure |
| World Color Press | Effingham, Illinois | 742 | Layoff |
| USA Healthcare | Cullman, Alabama | 700 | Closure |
| Mci | Niles, Ohio | 661 | |
| J.R. Simplot | Quincy, Washington | 606 | Closure |
| Citicorp Credit Services | Trevose, Pennsylvania | 579 | Closure |
| Spectrum Supply Chain Services | Breinigsville, Pennsylvania | 558 | Closure |
| Zimmer formerly Centerpuls Orthopedics | Austin, Texas | 550 | |
| Thomson Inc / UPDATED | Circleville, Ohio | 520 | |
| Sierra Military Health Services | Baltimore, Maryland | 504 | Layoff |
The biggest impact was at Airborne Express in Seattle, Washington, reporting 1,000 affected workers. World Color Press followed with 742 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in March 2004. 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.