Washington Layoffs — January 2008
Employers in Washington submitted 5 WARN Act notices in January 2008, putting at risk an estimated 309 workers — up substantially from December and down 58% versus January 2007. The average filing covered 62 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 3 | 141 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 89 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 79 |
The Information & Technology sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 141 workers across 3 notices. Separately, Manufacturing reported 89 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 3 | 141 |
| Clark | 1 | 89 |
| Spokane | 1 | 79 |
King felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 46% of all affected workers with 141 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | 1 | 89 |
| Deer Park | 1 | 79 |
| Bothell | 1 | 71 |
| Kirkland | 1 | 69 |
| Bellevue | 1 | 1 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 168 |
| Layoff | 3 | 141 |
The high proportion of closures (54% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panasonic | Vancouver | 89 | Closure | |
| Holy Family Hospital | Deer Park | 79 | Closure | |
| Seattle Times - North Creek | Bothell | 71 | Layoff | |
| Digio | Kirkland | 69 | Layoff | |
| Sun Microsystems | Bellevue | 1 | Layoff |
Topping the list was Panasonic at its Vancouver facility, reporting 89 affected workers. Holy Family Hospital followed with 79 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 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.