Washington Layoffs — May 2012
Employers in Washington logged 13 WARN Act notices in May 2012, involving roughly 1,242 workers — climbing above April and up 108% versus May 2011. The average filing covered 96 workers, with 12 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 2 | 1,003 |
| Manufacturing | 11 | 239 |
The Information & Technology sector dominated layoff filings with 1,003 workers across 2 notices. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 239 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 4 | 1,131 |
| Pierce | 2 | 56 |
| Snohomish | 1 | 15 |
| Spokane | 1 | 14 |
| Yakima | 1 | 9 |
King was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 91% of all affected workers with 1,131 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Bellevue | 1 | 814 |
| SeaTac | 1 | 189 |
| Seattle | 1 | 111 |
| Lakewood | 1 | 53 |
| Kent | 1 | 17 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 12 | 1,241 |
| Layoff | 1 | 1 |
The high proportion of closures (100% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon Wireless | Bellevue | 814 | Closure | |
| Delta Air Lines Reservation Call Center | SeaTac | 189 | Closure | |
| Hostess Brands | Seattle | 111 | Closure | |
| Hostess Brands | Lakewood | 53 | Closure | |
| Hostess Brands | Kent | 17 | Closure | |
| Hostess Brands | Everett | 15 | Closure | |
| Hostess Brands | Spokane | 14 | Closure | |
| Hostess Brands | Yakima | 9 | Closure | |
| Hostess Brands | Tumwater | 8 | Closure | |
| Hostess Brands | Bellingham | 6 | Closure | |
| Hostess Brands | Tacoma | 3 | Closure | |
| Hostess Brands | Moses Lake | 2 | Closure | |
| Amonix | Langley | 1 | Layoff |
The biggest impact was at Verizon Wireless at its Bellevue facility, reporting 814 affected workers. Delta Air Lines Reservation Call Center followed with 189 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
This data points to mounting pressure on the Washington labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Information & Technology 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.