Washington Layoffs — December 2012
Employers in Washington recorded 10 WARN Act notices in December 2012, covering approximately 378 workers and down 38% versus December 2011. The average filing covered 38 workers, with 9 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 8 | 243 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 81 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 54 |
The Healthcare sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 243 workers across 8 notices. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 81 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pierce | 2 | 181 |
| King | 1 | 99 |
| Grant | 1 | 81 |
| Kitsap | 1 | 5 |
| Island | 1 | 4 |
Pierce saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 48% of all affected workers with 181 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Yakima | 2 | 128 |
| Seattle | 1 | 99 |
| Ephrata | 1 | 81 |
| Ft. Lewis | 1 | 54 |
| Bremerton | 1 | 5 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 9 | 324 |
| Layoff | 1 | 54 |
The high proportion of closures (86% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TriWest Healthcare Alliance | Yakima | 127 | Closure | |
| Life Care Center of West Seattle | Seattle | 99 | Closure | |
| Katana Summit | Ephrata | 81 | Closure | |
| Skookum | Ft. Lewis | 54 | Layoff | |
| TriWest Healthcare Alliance | Bremerton | 5 | Closure | |
| TriWest Healthcare Alliance | Oak Harbor | 4 | Closure | |
| TriWest Healthcare Alliance | Fairchild AFB | 3 | Closure | |
| TriWest Healthcare Alliance | Everett | 2 | Closure | |
| TriWest Healthcare Alliance | Port Angeles | 2 | Closure | |
| TriWest Healthcare Alliance | Yakima | 1 | Closure |
Leading the list was TriWest Healthcare Alliance at its Yakima facility, reporting 127 affected workers. Life Care Center of West Seattle followed with 99 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. 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.