Washington Layoffs — February 2021
Employers in Washington filed 8 WARN Act notices in February 2021, impacting roughly 683 workers — representing a notable rise over January and down 54% versus February 2020. The average filing covered 85 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2 | 271 |
| Transportation | 2 | 158 |
| Retail | 1 | 109 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 65 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 62 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 18 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 271 workers across 2 notices. In a parallel development, Transportation reported 158 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 4 | 327 |
| Spokane | 1 | 136 |
| Snohomish | 1 | 104 |
| Grant | 1 | 62 |
| Pierce | 1 | 54 |
King saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 48% of all affected workers with 327 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Bothell | 2 | 153 |
| Spokane | 1 | 136 |
| Seattle | 1 | 109 |
| Everett | 1 | 104 |
| SeaTac | 1 | 65 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 4 | 280 |
| Closure | 1 | 136 |
Closures accounted for 20% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triumph Aerospace Structures | Spokane | 136 | Closure | |
| Panasonic Avionics | Bothell | 135 | Layoff | |
| Quality Food Centers | Seattle | 109 | ||
| XPO Logistics | Everett | 104 | ||
| Flying Food Group | SeaTac | 65 | Layoff | |
| Washington Potato | Warden | 62 | Layoff | |
| Progress Rail Services | Tacoma | 54 | ||
| Keyword Studios / VMC Consulting | Bothell | 18 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Triumph Aerospace Structures at its Spokane facility, reporting 136 affected workers. Panasonic Avionics followed with 135 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores 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.