Washington Layoffs — April 2018
Employers in Washington reported 5 WARN Act notices in April 2018, displacing an estimated 354 workers — signaling an acceleration from March and up 179% versus April 2017. The average filing covered 71 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2 | 158 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 119 |
| Retail | 1 | 68 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 9 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 158 workers across 2 notices. Notably, Professional Services reported 119 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 3 | 226 |
| Clark | 1 | 119 |
| Pierce | 1 | 9 |
King absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 64% of all affected workers with 226 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | 1 | 119 |
| Tukwila | 1 | 101 |
| Redmond | 1 | 68 |
| Renton | 1 | 57 |
| Sumner | 1 | 9 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 226 |
| Layoff | 1 | 119 |
The high proportion of closures (64% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lionbridge | Vancouver | 119 | Layoff | |
| Jorgensen Forge | Tukwila | 101 | Closure | |
| Sears | Redmond | 68 | Closure | |
| A.O. Smith | Renton | 57 | Closure | |
| Marine View Beverage | Sumner | 9 |
The most significant filing came from Lionbridge at its Vancouver facility, reporting 119 affected workers. Jorgensen Forge followed with 101 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.