Washington Layoffs — April 2009
Employers in Washington reported 8 WARN Act notices in April 2009, displacing an estimated 752 workers — signaling a deceleration from March and up 325% versus April 2008. The average filing covered 94 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5 | 605 |
| Finance & Insurance | 2 | 145 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 2 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 605 workers across 5 notices. Notably, Finance & Insurance reported 145 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 5 | 436 |
| Lewis | 1 | 124 |
| Snohomish | 1 | 118 |
| Asotin | 1 | 74 |
King absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 58% of all affected workers with 436 workers across 5 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 3 | 291 |
| Morton | 1 | 124 |
| Darrington | 1 | 118 |
| Bothell | 1 | 100 |
| Clarkston | 1 | 74 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 6 | 633 |
| Closure | 2 | 119 |
Closures accounted for 16% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZymoGenetics | Seattle | 170 | Layoff | |
| Hampton Affiliates | Morton | 124 | Layoff | |
| Boeing | Seattle | 119 | Layoff | |
| Hampton Affiliates | Darrington | 118 | Layoff | |
| Liberty Mutual Insurance | Bothell | 100 | Layoff | |
| Guy Bennett Lumber | Clarkston | 74 | Closure | |
| JPMorgan Chase | Tukwila | 45 | Closure | |
| Microsoft | Seattle | 2 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from ZymoGenetics at its Seattle facility, reporting 170 affected workers. Hampton Affiliates followed with 124 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate 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.