Washington Layoffs — March 2021
Employers in Washington submitted 5 WARN Act notices in March 2021, putting at risk an estimated 1,368 workers — up substantially from February and down 91% versus March 2020. The average filing covered 274 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Government | 1 | 1,213 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 50 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 42 |
| Transportation | 1 | 42 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 21 |
The Government sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 1,213 workers across 1 notice. Separately, Professional Services reported 50 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 3 | 1,297 |
| Kitsap | 1 | 50 |
| Thurston | 1 | 21 |
King bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 95% of all affected workers with 1,297 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 1 | 1,213 |
| Keyport | 1 | 50 |
| Bothell | 1 | 42 |
| SeaTac | 1 | 42 |
| Tumwater | 1 | 21 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 3 | 1,305 |
| Closure | 1 | 21 |
Closures accounted for 2% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YMCA of Greater Seattle | Seattle | 1,213 | Layoff | |
| Saalex Solutions | Keyport | 50 | Layoff | |
| Keyword Studios US | Bothell | 42 | Layoff | |
| Southwest Airlines | SeaTac | 42 | ||
| Plastics Extrusion Machinery | Tumwater | 21 | Closure |
Topping the list was YMCA of Greater Seattle at its Seattle facility, reporting 1,213 affected workers. Saalex Solutions followed with 50 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
These figures highlight 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.