Washington Layoffs — March 2005
Employers in Washington logged 7 WARN Act notices in March 2005, involving roughly 574 workers — climbing above February and down 76% versus March 2004. The average filing covered 82 workers, with 5 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 2 | 217 |
| Retail | 3 | 196 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 118 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 43 |
The Information & Technology sector dominated layoff filings with 217 workers across 2 notices. Meanwhile, Retail reported 196 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 2 | 187 |
| Yakima | 2 | 185 |
| Snohomish | 2 | 138 |
| Franklin | 1 | 64 |
King bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 33% of all affected workers with 187 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Yakima | 2 | 185 |
| Seattle | 1 | 144 |
| Bothell | 2 | 116 |
| Smokey Point | 1 | 65 |
| Pasco | 1 | 64 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 5 | 458 |
| Layoff | 2 | 116 |
The high proportion of closures (80% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qwest | Seattle | 144 | Closure | |
| Yakima Resources | Yakima | 118 | Closure | |
| Cingular Wireless | Bothell | 73 | Layoff | |
| Brown & Cole Stores | Yakima | 67 | Closure | |
| Brown & Cole Stores | Smokey Point | 65 | Closure | |
| Brown & Cole Stores | Pasco | 64 | Closure | |
| Phillips Ultrasound | Bothell | 43 | Layoff |
The biggest impact was at Qwest at its Seattle facility, reporting 144 affected workers. Yakima Resources followed with 118 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Information & Technology sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Washington. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all Washington WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.