Washington Layoffs — October 2011
Employers in Washington reported 6 WARN Act notices in October 2011, displacing an estimated 1,275 workers — signaling an acceleration from September and up 597% versus October 2010. The average filing covered 212 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4 | 961 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 222 |
| Retail | 1 | 92 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 961 workers across 4 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 222 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Snohomish | 3 | 903 |
| Thurston | 1 | 222 |
| Pierce | 1 | 92 |
| King | 1 | 58 |
Snohomish absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 71% of all affected workers with 903 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Everett | 1 | 760 |
| Olympia | 1 | 222 |
| Tacoma | 1 | 92 |
| Darrington | 1 | 76 |
| Arlington | 1 | 67 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 4 | 977 |
| Layoff | 2 | 298 |
The high proportion of closures (77% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberly-Clark | Everett | 760 | Closure | |
| Washington State Employment Security Department | Olympia | 222 | Layoff | |
| Lowe's HIW | Tacoma | 92 | Closure | |
| Hampton Lumber Mills | Darrington | 76 | Layoff | |
| BlueScope Buildings North America | Arlington | 67 | Closure | |
| Kerry Ingredients & Flavours | Kent | 58 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Kimberly-Clark at its Everett facility, reporting 760 affected workers. Washington State Employment Security Department followed with 222 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.