Washington Layoffs — March 2023
Employers in Washington logged 10 WARN Act notices in March 2023, involving roughly 1,967 workers — climbing above February and up 556% versus March 2022. The average filing covered 197 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 3 | 1,338 |
| Retail | 3 | 403 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 86 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 69 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 68 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 3 |
The Information & Technology sector dominated layoff filings with 1,338 workers across 3 notices. Meanwhile, Retail reported 403 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 8 | 1,683 |
| Snohomish | 1 | 198 |
| Spokane | 1 | 86 |
King bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 86% of all affected workers with 1,683 workers across 8 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Redmond | 3 | 1,316 |
| Seattle | 3 | 208 |
| Everett | 1 | 198 |
| Bothell | 1 | 90 |
| Spokane | 1 | 86 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 7 | 1,581 |
| Closure | 3 | 386 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Redmond | 689 | Layoff | |
| Microsoft | Redmond | 559 | Layoff | |
| Walmart | Everett | 198 | Closure | |
| Blue Nile | Seattle | 119 | Closure | |
| Astound Broadband | Bothell | 90 | Layoff | |
| Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle | Seattle | 86 | Layoff | |
| Ace Hardware | Spokane | 86 | Layoff | |
| Ingersoll Rand | Kent | 69 | Closure | |
| Compass Group USA | Redmond | 68 | Layoff | |
| Aspiration Partners | Seattle | 3 | Layoff |
The biggest impact was at Microsoft at its Redmond facility, reporting 689 affected workers. Microsoft followed with 559 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to mounting pressure on the Washington labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Information & Technology 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.