Washington DC Layoffs — October 2008
Employers in Washington DC reported 8 WARN Act notices in October 2008, displacing an estimated 1,159 workers — signaling an acceleration from September and up 301% versus October 2007. The average filing covered 145 workers, with 0 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Government | 3 | 760 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 122 |
| Transportation | 1 | 110 |
| Education | 1 | 70 |
| Utilities | 1 | 50 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 47 |
The Government sector topped the list of affected industries with 760 workers across 3 notices. Notably, Accommodation & Food reported 122 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| District Of Columbia | 4 | 719 |
District Of Columbia bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 62% of all affected workers with 719 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 4 | 719 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 8 | 1,159 |
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Office of the President | Washington | 500 | Layoff | |
| US Department of Commerce | 150 | Layoff | ||
| Gate Gourmet | Washington | 122 | Layoff | |
| US Department of Transportation | 110 | Layoff | ||
| US Department of Housing & Urban Development | 110 | Layoff | ||
| US Department of Education | 70 | Layoff | ||
| US Department of Energy | Washington | 50 | Layoff | |
| Revolution Health Group | Washington | 47 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from Executive Office of the President at its Washington facility, reporting 500 affected workers. US Department of Commerce followed with 150 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the Washington DC labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Government sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Washington DC. 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 DC WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.