Washington Layoffs — April 2012
Employers in Washington filed 5 WARN Act notices in April 2012, impacting roughly 338 workers — representing a notable rise over March and down 12% versus April 2011. The average filing covered 68 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 178 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 86 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 74 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 178 workers across 3 notices. In a parallel development, Information & Technology reported 86 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 3 | 203 |
| Pierce | 1 | 74 |
| Kitsap | 1 | 61 |
King bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 60% of all affected workers with 203 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Redmond | 1 | 86 |
| Milton | 1 | 74 |
| Keyport | 1 | 61 |
| Bothell | 1 | 60 |
| Kent | 1 | 57 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 3 | 192 |
| Closure | 2 | 146 |
Closures accounted for 43% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zipper Interactive | Redmond | 86 | Closure | |
| Harland Clarke Holdings | Milton | 74 | Layoff | |
| BAE Systems | Keyport | 61 | Layoff | |
| Cardiac Science Corporate | Bothell | 60 | Closure | |
| Davis Wire | Kent | 57 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Zipper Interactive at its Redmond facility, reporting 86 affected workers. Harland Clarke Holdings followed with 74 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. 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.