Washington Layoffs — April 2015
Employers in Washington reported 4 WARN Act notices in April 2015, displacing an estimated 463 workers — signaling an acceleration from March and up 128% versus April 2014. The average filing covered 116 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 275 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 109 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 69 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 10 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 275 workers across 1 notice. Notably, Finance & Insurance reported 109 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Mason | 1 | 275 |
| King | 3 | 188 |
Mason absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 59% of all affected workers with 275 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Shelton | 1 | 275 |
| Seattle | 2 | 119 |
| Tukwila | 1 | 69 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 344 |
| Layoff | 2 | 119 |
The high proportion of closures (74% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simpson Lumber | Shelton | 275 | Closure | |
| Federal Home Loan Bank | Seattle | 109 | Layoff | |
| Golden Nugget Tukwila Casino | Tukwila | 69 | Closure | |
| Emeritus Senior Living | Seattle | 10 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from Simpson Lumber at its Shelton facility, reporting 275 affected workers. Federal Home Loan Bank followed with 109 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate 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.