Washington Layoffs — October 2008
Employers in Washington reported 7 WARN Act notices in October 2008, displacing an estimated 1,336 workers — signaling an acceleration from September and up 499% versus October 2007. The average filing covered 191 workers, with 6 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4 | 910 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 312 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 114 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 910 workers across 4 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 312 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Snohomish | 3 | 801 |
| King | 2 | 264 |
| Pierce | 1 | 162 |
| Stevens | 1 | 109 |
Snohomish absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 60% of all affected workers with 801 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Arlington | 2 | 721 |
| Tacoma | 1 | 162 |
| Bellevue | 1 | 150 |
| Seattle | 1 | 114 |
| Colville | 1 | 109 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 6 | 1,222 |
| Layoff | 1 | 114 |
The high proportion of closures (91% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian Yacht/US Marine | Arlington | 445 | Closure | |
| Meridian Yacht/US Marine | Arlington | 276 | Closure | |
| Morning Sun | Tacoma | 162 | Closure | |
| IntelliTax Software Solutions | Bellevue | 150 | Closure | |
| Solid Ground | Seattle | 114 | Layoff | |
| Stimson Lumber | Colville | 109 | Closure | |
| Milgard Windows | Marysville | 80 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Meridian Yacht/US Marine at its Arlington facility, reporting 445 affected workers. Meridian Yacht/US Marine followed with 276 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the Washington labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing 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.