Washington Layoffs — September 2013
Employers in Washington posted 5 WARN Act notices in September 2013, affecting an estimated 647 workers and up 45% versus September 2012. The average filing covered 129 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2 | 324 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 247 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 76 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 324 workers across 2 notices. On a related front, Information & Technology reported 247 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 3 | 485 |
| Lewis | 1 | 86 |
| Thurston | 1 | 76 |
King absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 75% of all affected workers with 485 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 1 | 266 |
| Bellevue | 1 | 161 |
| Chehalis | 1 | 86 |
| Lacey | 1 | 76 |
| Renton | 1 | 58 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 4 | 381 |
| Layoff | 1 | 266 |
The high proportion of closures (59% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing | Seattle | 266 | Layoff | |
| Sprint | Bellevue | 161 | Closure | |
| RoadLink Workforce Solutions | Chehalis | 86 | Closure | |
| Mike Campbell & Associates | Lacey | 76 | Closure | |
| RockTenn | Renton | 58 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Boeing at its Seattle facility, reporting 266 affected workers. Sprint followed with 161 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest mounting pressure on the Washington labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. 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.