US Layoffs — December 2004
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 81 WARN Act notices in December 2004, impacting roughly 11,949 workers — representing a notable rise over November and up 61% versus December 2003. Filings came from 12 states and territories, with an average of 148 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 14 | 2,424 |
| Pennsylvania | 12 | 2,132 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 1,964 |
| Texas | 10 | 1,683 |
| Georgia | 11 | 1,601 |
| Illinois | 6 | 746 |
| Maryland | 4 | 361 |
| Ohio | 4 | 338 |
| Washington | 2 | 316 |
| Michigan | 3 | 201 |
| Alabama | 2 | 183 |
| Kansas | 6 | 0 |
Florida led the nation with 2,424 workers affected across 14 notices , followed by Pennsylvania (2,132 workers) and New Jersey (1,964 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 34 | 6,093 |
| Real Estate | 3 | 882 |
| Information & Technology | 8 | 804 |
| Healthcare | 5 | 678 |
| Transportation | 5 | 659 |
| Accommodation & Food | 3 | 633 |
| Finance & Insurance | 6 | 582 |
| Retail | 7 | 455 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2 | 339 |
| Utilities | 1 | 286 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 6,093 workers across 34 notices. In a parallel development, Real Estate reported 882 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 24 | 3,112 |
| Layoff | 11 | 827 |
Closures accounted for 26% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Motors | Linden, New Jersey | 950 | |
| Sanofi-Aventis | Bridgewater, New Jersey | 689 | |
| Vanguard Car Rental USA | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 605 | |
| Photocircuits | Peachtree City, Georgia | 600 | |
| Tyler Refrigeration | Waxahachie, Texas | 475 | |
| Nokia | Melbourne, Florida | 402 | |
| Graco | Elverson, Pennsylvania | 350 | Layoff |
| Adam's Mark | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 344 | Closure |
| Hoffman Mills | Shippensburg, Pennsylvania | 335 | Closure |
| National Benevolent Association | San Antonio, Texas | 303 |
The single largest action involved General Motors in Linden, New Jersey, reporting 950 affected workers. Sanofi-Aventis followed with 689 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores 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 December 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.