Washington Layoffs — October 2014
Employers in Washington filed 6 WARN Act notices in October 2014, impacting roughly 1,104 workers — representing a pullback from September and up 160% versus October 2013. The average filing covered 184 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 1 | 635 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | 328 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 131 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 10 |
The Information & Technology sector led the way in workforce reductions with 635 workers across 1 notice. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 328 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 5 | 1,050 |
| Snohomish | 1 | 54 |
King bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 95% of all affected workers with 1,050 workers across 5 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Redmond | 1 | 635 |
| Seattle | 3 | 405 |
| Monroe | 1 | 54 |
| Kirkland | 1 | 10 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 2 | 664 |
| Closure | 4 | 440 |
Closures accounted for 40% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Redmond | 635 | Layoff | |
| Amgen | Seattle | 274 | Closure | |
| Group Health | Seattle | 102 | Closure | |
| Metrie | Monroe | 54 | Closure | |
| Emeritus Senior Living | Seattle | 29 | Layoff | |
| Cobalt Mortgage | Kirkland | 10 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Microsoft at its Redmond facility, reporting 635 affected workers. Amgen followed with 274 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. 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.