Washington Layoffs — May 2009
Employers in Washington submitted 9 WARN Act notices in May 2009, putting at risk an estimated 1,794 workers — up substantially from April and up 806% versus May 2008. The average filing covered 199 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 1 | 1,200 |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 308 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 111 |
| Transportation | 1 | 81 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 53 |
| Other | 1 | 41 |
The Information & Technology sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 1,200 workers across 1 notice. Separately, Manufacturing reported 308 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 5 | 1,544 |
| Pierce | 1 | 111 |
| Thurston | 2 | 86 |
| Grays Harbor | 1 | 53 |
King absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 86% of all affected workers with 1,544 workers across 5 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Redmond | 1 | 1,200 |
| Seattle | 2 | 198 |
| Tacoma | 1 | 111 |
| Bothell | 1 | 101 |
| Cosmopolis | 1 | 53 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 5 | 1,516 |
| Closure | 4 | 278 |
Closures accounted for 15% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Redmond | 1,200 | Layoff | |
| Boeing | Seattle | 117 | Layoff | |
| Coast Engine & Equipment | Tacoma | 111 | Closure | |
| Amgen | Bothell | 101 | Layoff | |
| Ruan Transportation | Seattle | 81 | Closure | |
| Weyerhaeuser Forest Operation | Cosmopolis | 53 | Layoff | |
| Spring Air | Lacey | 45 | Layoff | |
| Johnson Controls | Bellevue | 45 | Closure | |
| CDG Management | Olympia | 41 | Closure |
Topping the list was Microsoft at its Redmond facility, reporting 1,200 affected workers. Boeing followed with 117 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight mounting pressure on the Washington labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. 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.