Washington Layoffs — January 2018
Employers in Washington logged 4 WARN Act notices in January 2018, involving roughly 738 workers — climbing above December and up 26% versus January 2017. The average filing covered 184 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 3 | 495 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 243 |
The Retail sector dominated layoff filings with 495 workers across 3 notices. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 243 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 3 | 495 |
| Clark | 1 | 243 |
King absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 67% of all affected workers with 495 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Camas | 1 | 243 |
| Renton | 1 | 179 |
| Auburn | 1 | 168 |
| Seattle | 1 | 148 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 4 | 738 |
The high proportion of closures (100% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Pacific | Camas | 243 | Closure | |
| Sam's Club | Renton | 179 | Closure | |
| Sam's Club | Auburn | 168 | Closure | |
| Sam's Club | Seattle | 148 | Closure |
The biggest impact was at Georgia Pacific at its Camas facility, reporting 243 affected workers. Sam's Club followed with 179 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to mounting pressure on the Washington labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Retail 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.