US Layoffs — July 2004
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 136 WARN Act notices in July 2004, putting at risk an estimated 20,835 workers — up substantially from June and up 11% versus July 2003. Filings came from 14 states and territories, with an average of 153 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 15 | 3,411 |
| Illinois | 15 | 3,155 |
| Ohio | 13 | 2,236 |
| Texas | 19 | 2,058 |
| New Jersey | 15 | 1,991 |
| Georgia | 5 | 1,886 |
| Kentucky | 9 | 1,789 |
| Pennsylvania | 14 | 1,232 |
| Alabama | 6 | 966 |
| Michigan | 8 | 935 |
| Washington | 6 | 684 |
| Maryland | 3 | 252 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 240 |
| Kansas | 6 | 0 |
Florida led the nation with 3,411 workers affected across 15 notices , followed by Illinois (3,155 workers) and Ohio (2,236 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 46 | 8,776 |
| Finance & Insurance | 11 | 1,891 |
| Healthcare | 10 | 1,520 |
| Other | 1 | 1,400 |
| Retail | 13 | 1,344 |
| Information & Technology | 9 | 1,308 |
| Professional Services | 5 | 1,017 |
| Transportation | 8 | 932 |
| Wholesale Trade | 11 | 525 |
| Mining & Energy | 4 | 471 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 8,776 workers across 46 notices. Separately, Finance & Insurance reported 1,891 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 38 | 5,113 |
| Layoff | 20 | 2,111 |
Closures accounted for 25% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown & Williamson Tobacco | Macon, Georgia | 1,410 | |
| Eckerd Coporation | Largo, Florida | 1,400 | |
| Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing | Normal, Illinois | 1,200 | Closure |
| Continental Tire North America Incorporated Mayfield Plant | Mayfield, Kentucky | 915 | |
| Longaberger | Frazeysburg, Ohio | 895 | |
| Washington Mutual Bank, Inc. - San Antonio | San Antonio, Texas | 630 | |
| Healthsouth Metro West Hospital | Fairfield, Alabama | 506 | Closure |
| Dixie Packers | Madison, Florida | 500 | |
| Washington Mutual Bank | Vernon Hills, Illinois | 488 | Layoff |
| Unicco Service | East Rutherford, New Jersey | 429 |
Topping the list was Brown & Williamson Tobacco in Macon, Georgia, reporting 1,410 affected workers. Eckerd Coporation followed with 1,400 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
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 July 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.