US Layoffs — October 2005
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 82 WARN Act notices in October 2005, displacing an estimated 9,848 workers — signaling an acceleration from September and down 25% versus October 2004. Filings came from 14 states and territories, with an average of 120 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 8 | 1,970 |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 1,536 |
| Ohio | 7 | 1,094 |
| Texas | 11 | 1,045 |
| Georgia | 11 | 1,007 |
| Washington | 8 | 939 |
| Maryland | 3 | 711 |
| New Jersey | 3 | 669 |
| Michigan | 3 | 268 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 250 |
| Alabama | 2 | 176 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 125 |
| Illinois | 1 | 58 |
| Kansas | 5 | 0 |
Florida led the nation with 1,970 workers affected across 8 notices , followed by Pennsylvania (1,536 workers) and Ohio (1,094 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 33 | 4,290 |
| Healthcare | 12 | 1,693 |
| Information & Technology | 12 | 1,552 |
| Finance & Insurance | 5 | 819 |
| Professional Services | 5 | 421 |
| Wholesale Trade | 4 | 347 |
| Transportation | 2 | 187 |
| Agriculture | 2 | 182 |
| Education | 1 | 125 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 60 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 4,290 workers across 33 notices. Notably, Healthcare reported 1,693 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 20 | 2,515 |
| Layoff | 21 | 1,298 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alco Eastalco Works | Buckeystown, Maryland | 602 | Closure |
| Sitel | Tampa, Florida | 519 | |
| St. Barnabas Health | Irvington, New Jersey | 485 | |
| America Online | Maitland, Florida | 471 | |
| Alliance Laundry Systems | Marianna, Florida | 400 | |
| CIGNA HealthCare Service Operations | Columbus, Ohio | 327 | |
| JPMorgan Chase | Houston, Texas | 325 | |
| Pasadena Paper | Pasadena, Texas | 262 | |
| Weyerhaeuser | Wright City, Oklahoma | 250 | |
| Weyerhaeuser | Cosmopolis, Washington | 245 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Alco Eastalco Works in Buckeystown, Maryland, reporting 602 affected workers. Sitel followed with 519 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate 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 October 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.