US Layoffs — April 2004
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers recorded 109 WARN Act notices in April 2004, covering approximately 19,992 workers — marking a sharp increase from March and up 52% versus April 2003. Filings came from 15 states and territories, with an average of 183 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 19 | 5,410 |
| Illinois | 12 | 2,301 |
| Michigan | 6 | 1,976 |
| Ohio | 13 | 1,937 |
| Texas | 15 | 1,878 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 1,061 |
| Florida | 5 | 1,047 |
| Georgia | 4 | 955 |
| New Jersey | 8 | 818 |
| Maryland | 4 | 741 |
| Alabama | 4 | 631 |
| Washington | 8 | 626 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 586 |
| Vermont | 1 | 25 |
| Kansas | 4 | 0 |
Pennsylvania led the nation with 5,410 workers affected across 19 notices , followed by Illinois (2,301 workers) and Michigan (1,976 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 44 | 7,510 |
| Healthcare | 15 | 5,551 |
| Finance & Insurance | 9 | 1,754 |
| Information & Technology | 10 | 1,211 |
| Transportation | 6 | 894 |
| Retail | 6 | 814 |
| Accommodation & Food | 3 | 663 |
| Wholesale Trade | 6 | 649 |
| Professional Services | 4 | 559 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 161 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 7,510 workers across 44 notices. At the same time, Healthcare reported 5,551 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 40 | 10,082 |
| Layoff | 17 | 1,603 |
Closures accounted for 50% of all affected workers nationally, indicating significant structural workforce adjustments.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kwikset | Bristow, Oklahoma | 1,000 | |
| General Motors (Assembly Plant) | Lansing, Michigan | 907 | Closure |
| Medical College of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 883 | Closure |
| General Motors (Body Plant) | Lansing, Michigan | 659 | Closure |
| Case | East Moline, Illinois | 571 | Closure |
| St. Agnes Medical Center | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 516 | Closure |
| CSL Behring | Bradley, Illinois | 500 | Layoff |
| HMS Host | Linthicum, Maryland | 498 | Closure |
| Prison Health Services, Inc. Cambria Community Center 2815 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 410 | Closure |
| Prison Health Services, Inc. Curran Fromhold Facility 7901 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 410 | Closure |
Leading the list was Kwikset in Bristow, Oklahoma, reporting 1,000 affected workers. General Motors (Assembly Plant) followed with 907 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
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 April 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 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.