US Layoffs — July 2005
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 102 WARN Act notices in July 2005, affecting an estimated 13,140 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to June and down 37% versus July 2004. Filings came from 14 states and territories, with an average of 129 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 10 | 1,721 |
| Illinois | 9 | 1,693 |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 1,646 |
| Florida | 10 | 1,576 |
| Michigan | 8 | 1,223 |
| New Jersey | 8 | 1,075 |
| Iowa | 7 | 1,048 |
| Georgia | 11 | 973 |
| Washington | 5 | 903 |
| Ohio | 7 | 760 |
| Maryland | 3 | 388 |
| Vermont | 1 | 68 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 66 |
| Kansas | 4 | 0 |
Texas led the nation with 1,721 workers affected across 10 notices , followed by Illinois (1,693 workers) and Pennsylvania (1,646 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 38 | 4,217 |
| Information & Technology | 22 | 2,837 |
| Transportation | 8 | 1,069 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 960 |
| Wholesale Trade | 4 | 888 |
| Finance & Insurance | 3 | 573 |
| Mining & Energy | 3 | 502 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 2 | 405 |
| Professional Services | 11 | 395 |
| Retail | 3 | 233 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 4,217 workers across 38 notices. On a related front, Information & Technology reported 2,837 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 32 | 3,705 |
| Layoff | 22 | 3,196 |
Closures accounted for 28% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | 941 | Layoff |
| IAP World Services | Bangor, Washington | 787 | Layoff |
| Abbott Laboratories | Illinois | 691 | Closure |
| Agere Systems | Orlando, Florida | 545 | |
| Pfi | Edison, New Jersey | 401 | |
| Worley Distribution Services | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | 400 | Closure |
| VF Jeanswear - Fabens | Fabens, Texas | 395 | |
| NCO Financial Systems, Inc. - San Antonio | San Antonio, Texas | 390 | |
| Telvista | Plano, Texas | 351 | |
| Sappi Fine Paper North America | Muskegon, Michigan | 351 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, reporting 941 affected workers. IAP World Services followed with 787 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The trends suggest 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 July 2005. 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.