Washington Layoffs — April 2008
Employers in Washington reported 3 WARN Act notices in April 2008, displacing an estimated 177 workers — signaling a deceleration from March and down 68% versus April 2007. The average filing covered 59 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 2 | 158 |
| Education | 1 | 19 |
The Agriculture sector topped the list of affected industries with 158 workers across 2 notices. Notably, Education reported 19 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pierce | 1 | 111 |
| Spokane | 1 | 47 |
| Clark | 1 | 19 |
Pierce bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 63% of all affected workers with 111 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Tacoma | 1 | 111 |
| Cheney | 1 | 47 |
| Vancouver | 1 | 19 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 1 | 111 |
| Closure | 2 | 66 |
Closures accounted for 37% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simpson Timber | Tacoma | 111 | Layoff | |
| Wilcox Farms | Cheney | 47 | Closure | |
| Educational Opportunities for Children and Family | Vancouver | 19 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Simpson Timber at its Tacoma facility, reporting 111 affected workers. Wilcox Farms followed with 47 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate a easing in workforce disruptions across Washington, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Agriculture 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.