Washington Layoffs — January 2014
Employers in Washington reported 5 WARN Act notices in January 2014, displacing an estimated 166 workers — signaling an acceleration from December and down 75% versus January 2013. The average filing covered 33 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 85 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 52 |
| Utilities | 1 | 29 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 85 workers across 3 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 52 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 3 | 81 |
| Snohomish | 1 | 56 |
| Kitsap | 1 | 29 |
King was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 49% of all affected workers with 81 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 2 | 60 |
| Everett | 1 | 56 |
| Silverdale | 1 | 29 |
| Redmond | 1 | 21 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 129 |
| Layoff | 2 | 37 |
The high proportion of closures (78% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oldcastle Building Envelope | Everett | 56 | Closure | |
| Zynga | Seattle | 52 | Closure | |
| General Dynamics/Electric Boat | Silverdale | 29 | Layoff | |
| Mettler-Toledo AutoChem | Redmond | 21 | Closure | |
| Boeing | Seattle | 8 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from Oldcastle Building Envelope at its Everett facility, reporting 56 affected workers. Zynga followed with 52 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate 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.