Washington Layoffs — August 2009
Employers in Washington filed 5 WARN Act notices in August 2009, impacting roughly 585 workers — representing a notable rise over July and down 56% versus August 2008. The average filing covered 117 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 463 |
| Construction | 1 | 77 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 45 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 463 workers across 3 notices. In a parallel development, Construction reported 77 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 5 | 585 |
King bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 100% of all affected workers with 585 workers across 5 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 3 | 401 |
| Auburn | 1 | 109 |
| Snoqualmie | 1 | 75 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 3 | 401 |
| Closure | 2 | 184 |
Closures accounted for 31% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing | Seattle | 279 | Layoff | |
| Northwest Territorial Mint, LCC | Auburn | 109 | Closure | |
| CROSSMARK Home Improvements, LCC | Seattle | 77 | Layoff | |
| Philips Electronics | Snoqualmie | 75 | Closure | |
| Crossroads Services | Seattle | 45 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Boeing at its Seattle facility, reporting 279 affected workers. Northwest Territorial Mint, LCC followed with 109 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores 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.