Washington Layoffs — March 2019
Employers in Washington posted 5 WARN Act notices in March 2019, affecting an estimated 500 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to February and up 59% versus March 2018. The average filing covered 100 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 2 | 240 |
| Retail | 2 | 193 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 67 |
The Information & Technology sector saw the heaviest impact with 240 workers across 2 notices. On a related front, Retail reported 193 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 2 | 289 |
| Clark | 1 | 80 |
| Pierce | 1 | 67 |
| Spokane | 1 | 64 |
King bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 58% of all affected workers with 289 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| SeaTac | 1 | 176 |
| Seattle | 1 | 113 |
| Vancouver | 1 | 80 |
| Sumner | 1 | 67 |
| Spokane | 1 | 64 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 260 |
| Layoff | 2 | 240 |
The high proportion of closures (52% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABM Aviation | SeaTac | 176 | Layoff | |
| JCPenney | Seattle | 113 | Closure | |
| Walmart | Vancouver | 80 | Closure | |
| Brooks | Sumner | 67 | Closure | |
| Web.com | Spokane | 64 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by ABM Aviation at its SeaTac facility, reporting 176 affected workers. JCPenney followed with 113 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The trends suggest 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.