Washington Layoffs — November 2020
Employers in Washington posted 5 WARN Act notices in November 2020, affecting an estimated 434 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to October and up 11% versus November 2019. The average filing covered 87 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 230 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 2 | 105 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 94 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 5 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 230 workers across 1 notice. On a related front, Arts & Entertainment reported 105 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 3 | 335 |
| Clark | 2 | 99 |
King felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 77% of all affected workers with 335 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Bothell | 1 | 230 |
| Seattle | 2 | 105 |
| Vancouver | 2 | 99 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 1 | 230 |
| Layoff | 2 | 105 |
The high proportion of closures (53% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Scientific | Bothell | 230 | Closure | |
| Elmer's Restaurants | Vancouver | 94 | ||
| Seattle Theater Group | Seattle | 93 | Layoff | |
| Museum of Pop Culture | Seattle | 12 | Layoff | |
| Lags Spine and Sportscare Medical Centers | Vancouver | 5 |
The largest notice was filed by Boston Scientific at its Bothell facility, reporting 230 affected workers. Elmer's Restaurants followed with 94 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The trends suggest a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. 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.