Washington Layoffs — October 2014
Employers in Washington reported 6 WARN Act notices in October 2014, displacing an estimated 1,104 workers — signaling a deceleration from September and up 160% versus October 2013. The average filing covered 184 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 1 | 635 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | 328 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 131 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 10 |
The Information & Technology sector topped the list of affected industries with 635 workers across 1 notice. Notably, Manufacturing reported 328 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 5 | 1,050 |
| Snohomish | 1 | 54 |
King absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 95% of all affected workers with 1,050 workers across 5 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Redmond | 1 | 635 |
| Seattle | 3 | 405 |
| Monroe | 1 | 54 |
| Kirkland | 1 | 10 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 2 | 664 |
| Closure | 4 | 440 |
Closures accounted for 40% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Redmond | 635 | Layoff | |
| Amgen | Seattle | 274 | Closure | |
| Group Health | Seattle | 102 | Closure | |
| Metrie | Monroe | 54 | Closure | |
| Emeritus Senior Living | Seattle | 29 | Layoff | |
| Cobalt Mortgage | Kirkland | 10 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Microsoft at its Redmond facility, reporting 635 affected workers. Amgen followed with 274 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. 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.