Employers in Washington submitted 6 WARN Act notices in October 2006, putting at risk an estimated 577 workers — up substantially from September and down 39% versus October 2005. The average filing covered 96 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 1 | 56 |
The Utilities sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 56 workers across 1 notice.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 2 | 204 |
| Snohomish | 1 | 140 |
| Chelan | 1 | 102 |
| Pierce | 1 | 75 |
| Kitsap | 1 | 56 |
King bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 35% of all affected workers with 204 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Redmond | 1 | 141 |
| Lynnwood | 1 | 140 |
| Leavenworth | 1 | 102 |
| Tacoma | 1 | 75 |
| Bothell | 1 | 63 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 4 | 412 |
| Closure | 2 | 165 |
Closures accounted for 29% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spherion | Redmond | 141 | Layoff | 2006-10-03 |
| Washington Mutual | Lynnwood | 140 | Layoff | 2006-10-09 |
| Leavenworth Wood Products | Leavenworth | 102 | Closure | 2006-10-11 |
| Marine Industries Northwest, Inc | Tacoma | 75 | Layoff | 2006-10-27 |
| Glaxo Smith Kline | Bothell | 63 | Closure | 2006-10-27 |
| Electric Boat | Bremerton | 56 | Layoff | 2006-10-06 |
Topping the list was Spherion at its Redmond facility, reporting 141 affected workers. Washington Mutual followed with 140 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Utilities 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.
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