Washington Layoffs — September 2008
Employers in Washington posted 3 WARN Act notices in September 2008, affecting an estimated 153 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to August and down 63% versus September 2007. The average filing covered 51 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Services | 1 | 139 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 13 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 1 |
The Professional Services sector saw the heaviest impact with 139 workers across 1 notice. On a related front, Manufacturing reported 13 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 2 | 140 |
| Pierce | 1 | 13 |
King saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 92% of all affected workers with 140 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 1 | 139 |
| DuPont | 1 | 13 |
| Issaquah | 1 | 1 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 152 |
| Layoff | 1 | 1 |
The high proportion of closures (99% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heller Ehrman | Seattle | 139 | Closure | |
| Johnson Controls | DuPont | 13 | Closure | |
| Vivendi Games | Issaquah | 1 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by Heller Ehrman at its Seattle facility, reporting 139 affected workers. Johnson Controls followed with 13 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The trends suggest a easing in workforce disruptions across Washington, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Professional Services 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.