Washington Layoffs — August 2008
Employers in Washington filed 9 WARN Act notices in August 2008, impacting roughly 1,324 workers — representing a pullback from July and up 45% versus August 2007. The average filing covered 147 workers, with 6 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 600 |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 277 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 195 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 117 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 75 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 60 |
The Wholesale Trade sector led the way in workforce reductions with 600 workers across 1 notice. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 277 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 6 | 917 |
| Spokane | 1 | 211 |
| San Juan | 1 | 195 |
| Klickitat | 1 | 1 |
King saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 69% of all affected workers with 917 workers across 6 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | 2 | 650 |
| Spokane | 1 | 211 |
| Eastsound | 1 | 195 |
| Seattle | 2 | 192 |
| Bellevue | 1 | 60 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| 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.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Distributors | Kent | 600 | Closure | |
| Columbia Lighting | Spokane | 211 | Closure | |
| Rosario Resort | Eastsound | 195 | Closure | |
| Seattle Sonics | Seattle | 117 | Closure | |
| Seattle Times | Seattle | 75 | Layoff | |
| GMAC ResCap | Bellevue | 60 | Closure | |
| Titus Tool | Kent | 50 | Layoff | |
| Cenveo | Tukwila | 15 | Closure | |
| Syntax Brillian | White Salmon | 1 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Alaska Distributors at its Kent facility, reporting 600 affected workers. Columbia Lighting followed with 211 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores 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.