Washington Layoffs — July 2009
Employers in Washington posted 6 WARN Act notices in July 2009, affecting an estimated 408 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to June and down 72% versus July 2008. The average filing covered 68 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 239 |
| Agriculture | 2 | 161 |
| Utilities | 1 | 8 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 239 workers across 3 notices. On a related front, Agriculture reported 161 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Douglas | 2 | 161 |
| King | 2 | 149 |
| Whatcom | 1 | 90 |
| Kitsap | 1 | 8 |
Douglas saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 39% of all affected workers with 161 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Orondo | 2 | 161 |
| Seattle | 2 | 149 |
| Ferndale | 1 | 90 |
| Silverdale | 1 | 8 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 251 |
| Layoff | 3 | 157 |
The high proportion of closures (62% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing | Seattle | 104 | Layoff | |
| Stemilt Growers | Orondo | 94 | Closure | |
| Johnson Outdoors Watercraft | Ferndale | 90 | Closure | |
| Stemilt Growers | Orondo | 67 | Closure | |
| Boeing | Seattle | 45 | Layoff | |
| Electric Boat | Silverdale | 8 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by Boeing at its Seattle facility, reporting 104 affected workers. Stemilt Growers followed with 94 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 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.