Washington Layoffs — December 2019
Employers in Washington recorded 5 WARN Act notices in December 2019, covering approximately 696 workers — marking a sharp increase from November and up 167% versus December 2018. The average filing covered 139 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 418 |
| Retail | 1 | 236 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 42 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 418 workers across 3 notices. At the same time, Retail reported 236 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 4 | 495 |
| Yakima | 1 | 201 |
King was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 71% of all affected workers with 495 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 3 | 453 |
| Wapato | 1 | 201 |
| Bothell | 1 | 42 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 437 |
The high proportion of closures (63% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macy's | Seattle | 236 | Closure | |
| Vanguard Int'l Group, DBA Pride Packing Co LLC | Wapato | 201 | Closure | |
| Northwestern Industries | Seattle | 133 | ||
| Vicis | Seattle | 84 | ||
| Seattle Times | Bothell | 42 |
Leading the list was Macy's at its Seattle facility, reporting 236 affected workers. Vanguard Int'l Group, DBA Pride Packing Co LLC followed with 201 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect 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.