Washington Layoffs — February 2012
Employers in Washington reported 3 WARN Act notices in February 2012, displacing an estimated 347 workers — signaling an acceleration from January and up 7% versus February 2011. The average filing covered 116 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 1 | 216 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 79 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 52 |
The Healthcare sector topped the list of affected industries with 216 workers across 1 notice. Notably, Manufacturing reported 79 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 2 | 295 |
| Pierce | 1 | 52 |
King was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 85% of all affected workers with 295 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 1 | 216 |
| Kent | 1 | 79 |
| Gig Harbor | 1 | 52 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 295 |
| Layoff | 1 | 52 |
The high proportion of closures (85% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swedish Visiting Nurse Services | Seattle | 216 | Closure | |
| Heinz North America | Kent | 79 | Closure | |
| CenturyLink | Gig Harbor | 52 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from Swedish Visiting Nurse Services at its Seattle facility, reporting 216 affected workers. Heinz North America followed with 79 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the Washington labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Healthcare 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.