Employers in Washington submitted 9 WARN Act notices in August 2008, putting at risk an estimated 1,324 workers — down from July and up 45% versus August 2007. The average filing covered 147 workers, with 6 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 600 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 195 |
The Wholesale Trade sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 600 workers across 1 notice. Separately, Accommodation & Food reported 195 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 3 | 227 |
| Spokane | 1 | 211 |
| Klickitat | 1 | 1 |
King felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 17% of all affected workers with 227 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kent, Everett, Spokane | 1 | 600 |
| Spokane | 1 | 211 |
| Eastsound (Orcas Island) | 1 | 195 |
| Seattle | 1 | 117 |
| North Creek & Fairview | 1 | 75 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 6 | 1,198 |
| Layoff | 3 | 126 |
The high proportion of closures (90% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Distributors | Kent, Everett, Spokane | 600 | Closure | 2008-08-13 |
| Columbia Lighting | Spokane | 211 | Closure | 2008-08-07 |
| Rosario Resort | Eastsound (Orcas Island) | 195 | Closure | 2008-08-21 |
| Seattle Sonics | Seattle | 117 | Closure | 2008-08-06 |
| Seattle Times | North Creek & Fairview | 75 | Layoff | 2008-08-12 |
| GMAC ResCap | Bellevue | 60 | Closure | 2008-08-12 |
| Titus Tool Company | Kent | 50 | Layoff | 2008-08-06 |
| Cenveo Corporation | Tukwila | 15 | Closure | 2008-08-15 |
| Syntax Brillian | White Salmon | 1 | Layoff | 2008-08-11 |
Topping the list was Alaska Distributors at its Kent, Everett, Spokane facility, reporting 600 affected workers. Columbia Lighting followed with 211 workers.
These figures highlight a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Wholesale Trade 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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