Washington Layoffs — August 2014
Employers in Washington filed 5 WARN Act notices in August 2014, impacting roughly 518 workers — representing a pullback from July. The average filing covered 104 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 200 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 149 |
| Government | 1 | 93 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 70 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 6 |
The Accommodation & Food sector led the way in workforce reductions with 200 workers across 1 notice. In a parallel development, Information & Technology reported 149 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 3 | 276 |
| Thurston | 1 | 149 |
| Kitsap | 1 | 93 |
King bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 53% of all affected workers with 276 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 3 | 276 |
| Olympia | 1 | 149 |
| Bangor | 1 | 93 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 293 |
| Layoff | 3 | 225 |
The high proportion of closures (57% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elliott's Oyster House | Seattle | 200 | Closure | |
| Employment Security Department | Olympia | 149 | Layoff | |
| G4S Government Solutions | Bangor | 93 | Closure | |
| Boeing | Seattle | 70 | Layoff | |
| Emeritus Senior Living | Seattle | 6 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Elliott's Oyster House at its Seattle facility, reporting 200 affected workers. Employment Security Department followed with 149 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Accommodation & Food 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.