Washington Layoffs — November 2009
Employers in Washington posted 4 WARN Act notices in November 2009, affecting an estimated 135 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to October and down 97% versus November 2008. The average filing covered 34 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 1 | 68 |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 67 |
The Retail sector saw the heaviest impact with 68 workers across 1 notice. On a related front, Manufacturing reported 67 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Clark | 1 | 68 |
| King | 3 | 67 |
Clark absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 50% of all affected workers with 68 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | 1 | 68 |
| Seattle | 1 | 49 |
| Redmond | 1 | 15 |
| Bellevue | 1 | 3 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 83 |
| Layoff | 2 | 52 |
The high proportion of closures (61% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kmart | Vancouver | 68 | Closure | |
| Boeing | Seattle | 49 | Layoff | |
| BD Diagnostics | Redmond | 15 | Closure | |
| Sun Microsystems | Bellevue | 3 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by Kmart at its Vancouver facility, reporting 68 affected workers. Boeing followed with 49 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The trends suggest a easing in workforce disruptions across Washington, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Retail 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.