Washington Layoffs — March 2006
Employers in Washington submitted 4 WARN Act notices in March 2006, putting at risk an estimated 70 workers — up substantially from February and down 88% versus March 2005. The average filing covered 18 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 49 |
| Information & Technology | 3 | 21 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 49 workers across 1 notice. Separately, Information & Technology reported 21 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 3 | 53 |
| Snohomish | 1 | 17 |
King bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 76% of all affected workers with 53 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Bothell | 2 | 66 |
| Bellevue | 1 | 2 |
| Redmond | 1 | 2 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 1 | 49 |
| Layoff | 3 | 21 |
The high proportion of closures (70% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ossur Generation II USA | Bothell | 49 | Closure | |
| Cingular Wireless | Bothell | 17 | Layoff | |
| Sun Microsystems | Bellevue | 2 | Layoff | |
| Cingular Wireless | Redmond | 2 | Layoff |
Topping the list was Ossur Generation II USA at its Bothell facility, reporting 49 affected workers. Cingular Wireless followed with 17 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing 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.