Washington Layoffs — December 2008
Employers in Washington recorded 4 WARN Act notices in December 2008, covering approximately 347 workers — marking a decline from November and up 18% versus December 2007. The average filing covered 87 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 2 | 177 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 166 |
| Transportation | 1 | 4 |
The Information & Technology sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 177 workers across 2 notices. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 166 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 2 | 223 |
| Spokane | 1 | 120 |
| Lewis | 1 | 4 |
King felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 64% of all affected workers with 223 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Renton | 1 | 166 |
| Liberty Lake | 1 | 120 |
| Woodinville | 1 | 57 |
| Chehalis | 1 | 4 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 3 | 343 |
| Closure | 1 | 4 |
Closures accounted for 1% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter Douglas | Renton | 166 | Layoff | |
| Agilent Technologies | Liberty Lake | 120 | Layoff | |
| North Sky Communications | Woodinville | 57 | Layoff | |
| ABX Air | Chehalis | 4 | Closure |
Leading the list was Hunter Douglas at its Renton facility, reporting 166 affected workers. Agilent Technologies followed with 120 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The filings reflect a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Information & Technology 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.