Washington Layoffs — May 2020
Employers in Washington posted 28 WARN Act notices in May 2020, affecting an estimated 3,490 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to April and up 148% versus May 2019. The average filing covered 125 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 13 | 1,412 |
| Transportation | 6 | 977 |
| Retail | 1 | 521 |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 354 |
| Government | 1 | 122 |
| Professional Services | 3 | 104 |
The Accommodation & Food sector saw the heaviest impact with 1,412 workers across 13 notices. On a related front, Transportation reported 977 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 23 | 3,140 |
| Grays Harbor | 1 | 132 |
| Pierce | 1 | 96 |
| Walla Walla | 1 | 68 |
| Kitsap | 1 | 51 |
King was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 90% of all affected workers with 3,140 workers across 23 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 18 | 2,812 |
| Cosmopolis | 1 | 132 |
| SeaTac | 2 | 131 |
| Kent | 1 | 123 |
| Puyallup | 1 | 96 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 25 | 3,253 |
| Closure | 3 | 237 |
Closures accounted for 7% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holland America Line NV | Seattle | 583 | Layoff | |
| Nordstrom | Seattle | 521 | Layoff | |
| Hyatt Corporation / Hyatt Regency Seattle | Seattle | 276 | Layoff | |
| Gate Gourmet | Seattle | 207 | Layoff | |
| Renaissance Seattle Hotel | Seattle | 190 | Layoff | |
| Hyatt Corporation / Grand Hyatt Seattle | Seattle | 152 | Layoff | |
| Cosmo Specialty Fibers | Cosmopolis | 132 | Layoff | |
| Cox Automotive | Kent | 123 | Layoff | |
| Hyatt Corporation / Hyatt at Olive 8 | Seattle | 123 | Layoff | |
| YMCA of Greater Seattle | Seattle | 122 | Layoff | |
| Princess Cruise Lines | Seattle | 122 | Layoff | |
| SHG Hotel SPE | Seattle | 119 | Layoff | |
| Hyatt Corporation / Hyatt Regency Seattle | Seattle | 106 | Layoff | |
| Saint-Gobain | Puyallup | 96 | Closure | |
| WeDriveU | Renton and Mukilteo | 73 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Holland America Line NV at its Seattle facility, reporting 583 affected workers. Nordstrom followed with 521 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Accommodation & Food 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.