Washington Layoffs — April 2020
Employers in Washington recorded 40 WARN Act notices in April 2020, covering approximately 6,896 workers — marking a decline from March and up 5288% versus April 2019. The average filing covered 172 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Government | 2 | 2,249 |
| Manufacturing | 13 | 2,130 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 2 | 845 |
| Accommodation & Food | 7 | 418 |
| Professional Services | 3 | 316 |
| Construction | 1 | 262 |
| Transportation | 3 | 259 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 206 |
The Government sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 2,249 workers across 2 notices. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 2,130 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 19 | 4,570 |
| Whatcom | 3 | 1,037 |
| Pierce | 5 | 465 |
| Snohomish | 6 | 280 |
| Spokane | 2 | 141 |
King absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 66% of all affected workers with 4,570 workers across 19 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 14 | 4,162 |
| Ferndale | 1 | 700 |
| Tacoma | 4 | 416 |
| Bellingham | 1 | 300 |
| Everett | 4 | 199 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 36 | 6,672 |
| Closure | 4 | 224 |
Closures accounted for 3% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Goodwill Industries | Seattle | 2,192 | Layoff | |
| Pacific Northwest Ballet | Seattle | 733 | Layoff | |
| Alcoa Intalco Works | Ferndale | 700 | Layoff | |
| Toray Composite Materials America | Tacoma | 361 | Layoff | |
| Safran Cabin Bellingham | Bellingham | 300 | Layoff | |
| Sellen Construction | Seattle | 262 | Layoff | |
| Rover.com | Seattle | 163 | Layoff | |
| Hexcel | Kent | 160 | Layoff | |
| Flying Food Group | Seattle | 153 | Layoff | |
| Hexcel | Burlington | 128 | Layoff | |
| Spokane Industries | Spokane Valley | 113 | Layoff | |
| Seattle Tennis Club | Seattle | 112 | Layoff | |
| The Hertz | Seattle | 111 | Layoff | |
| Warwick Corp, DBA Warwick Seattle Hotel | Seattle | 106 | Layoff | |
| Olympic Sports & Spine | Seattle | 100 | Layoff |
Leading the list was Seattle Goodwill Industries at its Seattle facility, reporting 2,192 affected workers. Pacific Northwest Ballet followed with 733 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The filings reflect a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Government 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.