Washington Layoffs — March 2008
Employers in Washington filed 3 WARN Act notices in March 2008, impacting roughly 829 workers — representing a pullback from February and up 189% versus March 2007. The average filing covered 276 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 1 | 697 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | 132 |
The Retail sector led the way in workforce reductions with 697 workers across 1 notice. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 132 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 1 | 697 |
| Cowlitz | 1 | 81 |
| Yakima | 1 | 51 |
King saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 84% of all affected workers with 697 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 1 | 697 |
| Toutle | 1 | 81 |
| Yakima | 1 | 51 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 1 | 697 |
| Closure | 2 | 132 |
Closures accounted for 16% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macy's | Seattle | 697 | Layoff | |
| Weyerhaeuser | Toutle | 81 | Closure | |
| Pactiv | Yakima | 51 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Macy's at its Seattle facility, reporting 697 affected workers. Weyerhaeuser followed with 81 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Retail 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.