Washington Layoffs — December 2019
Employers in Washington reported 5 WARN Act notices in December 2019, displacing an estimated 696 workers — signaling an acceleration 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 topped the list of affected industries with 418 workers across 3 notices. Notably, Retail reported 236 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 4 | 495 |
| Yakima | 1 | 201 |
King saw the most concentrated 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 |
The most significant filing came from 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 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.