Employers in Washington reported 13 WARN Act notices in May 2012, displacing an estimated 1,242 workers — signaling an acceleration from April and up 108% versus May 2011. The average filing covered 96 workers, with 12 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 1 | 814 |
| Admin & Support Services | 1 | 189 |
The Information & Technology sector topped the list of affected industries with 814 workers across 1 notice. Notably, Admin & Support Services reported 189 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 3 | 942 |
| Pierce | 2 | 56 |
| Snohomish | 1 | 15 |
| Spokane | 1 | 14 |
| Yakima | 1 | 9 |
King bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 76% of all affected workers with 942 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Bellevue | 1 | 814 |
| SeaTac | 1 | 189 |
| Seattle | 1 | 111 |
| Lakewood | 1 | 53 |
| Kent | 1 | 17 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 12 | 1,241 |
| Layoff | 1 | 1 |
The high proportion of closures (100% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon Wireless | Bellevue | 814 | Closure | 2012-05-02 |
| Delta Air Lines Reservation Call Center | SeaTac | 189 | Closure | 2012-05-22 |
| Hostess Brands | Seattle | 111 | Closure | 2012-05-07 |
| Hostess Brands | Lakewood | 53 | Closure | 2012-05-07 |
| Hostess Brands | Kent | 17 | Closure | 2012-05-07 |
| Hostess Brands | Everett | 15 | Closure | 2012-05-07 |
| Hostess Brands | Spokane | 14 | Closure | 2012-05-07 |
| Hostess Brands | Yakima | 9 | Closure | 2012-05-07 |
| Hostess Brands | Tumwater | 8 | Closure | 2012-05-07 |
| Hostess Brands | Bellingham | 6 | Closure | 2012-05-07 |
| Hostess Brands | Tacoma | 3 | Closure | 2012-05-07 |
| Hostess Brands | Moses Lake | 2 | Closure | 2012-05-07 |
| Amonix, Inc | Langley | 1 | Layoff | 2012-05-07 |
The most significant filing came from Verizon Wireless at its Bellevue facility, reporting 814 affected workers. Delta Air Lines Reservation Call Center followed with 189 workers.
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate 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.
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