Washington Layoffs — December 2015
Employers in Washington filed 4 WARN Act notices in December 2015, impacting roughly 442 workers — representing a pullback from November and up 433% versus December 2014. The average filing covered 110 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2 | 274 |
| Education | 1 | 90 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 78 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 274 workers across 2 notices. In a parallel development, Education reported 90 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Okanogan | 1 | 184 |
| Skagit | 1 | 90 |
| Grays Harbor | 1 | 90 |
| King | 1 | 78 |
Okanogan was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 42% of all affected workers with 184 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Omak | 1 | 184 |
| Sedro Woolley | 1 | 90 |
| Hoquiam | 1 | 90 |
| Seattle | 1 | 78 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 274 |
| Layoff | 1 | 90 |
The high proportion of closures (62% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omak Wood Products | Omak | 184 | Closure | |
| Management & Training | Sedro Woolley | 90 | Closure | |
| Hoquiam Plywood Products | Hoquiam | 90 | Layoff | |
| Aramark | Seattle | 78 |
The single largest action involved Omak Wood Products at its Omak facility, reporting 184 affected workers. Management & Training followed with 90 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. 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.