US Layoffs — September 2004
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers logged 88 WARN Act notices in September 2004, involving roughly 12,276 workers — falling below August and down 30% versus September 2003. Filings came from 13 states and territories, with an average of 140 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 18 | 4,312 |
| Florida | 13 | 1,581 |
| Georgia | 12 | 1,233 |
| New Jersey | 5 | 1,136 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 994 |
| Michigan | 8 | 784 |
| Illinois | 5 | 586 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 440 |
| Washington | 3 | 411 |
| Ohio | 4 | 386 |
| Maryland | 1 | 326 |
| Alabama | 2 | 87 |
| Kansas | 3 | 0 |
Texas led the nation with 4,312 workers affected across 18 notices , followed by Florida (1,581 workers) and Georgia (1,233 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 41 | 5,078 |
| Transportation | 10 | 2,804 |
| Information & Technology | 13 | 1,272 |
| Accommodation & Food | 4 | 761 |
| Finance & Insurance | 3 | 340 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 289 |
| Retail | 1 | 281 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 256 |
| Utilities | 2 | 238 |
| Construction | 1 | 155 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 5,078 workers across 41 notices. Meanwhile, Transportation reported 2,804 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 20 | 1,731 |
| Closure | 13 | 1,457 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Delta) | Fort Worth, Texas | 1,597 | |
| VF Jeanswear - El Paso2 | El Paso, Texas | 640 | |
| Bristol Meyers Squibb | Plainsboro, New Jersey | 500 | |
| Perdue | Showell, Maryland | 326 | Closure |
| CVS Pharmacy | Garland, Texas | 281 | |
| Merkafon Teleperformance | Plano, Texas | 279 | |
| Resort Quest International | Destin, Florida | 274 | |
| Savannas Hospital | Port St. Lucie, Florida | 256 | |
| VF Jeanswear - El Paso4 | El Paso, Texas | 250 | |
| Crackin Good Bakers | Valdosta, Georgia | 250 |
The biggest impact was at Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Delta) in Fort Worth, Texas, reporting 1,597 affected workers. VF Jeanswear - El Paso2 followed with 640 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
This data points to a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in September 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.