Washington Layoffs — March 2018
Employers in Washington reported 4 WARN Act notices in March 2018, displacing an estimated 314 workers — signaling a deceleration from February and up 4% versus March 2017. The average filing covered 78 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2 | 202 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 61 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 51 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 202 workers across 2 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 61 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 2 | 171 |
| Snohomish | 1 | 92 |
| Pierce | 1 | 51 |
King saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 54% of all affected workers with 171 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | 1 | 110 |
| Stanwood | 1 | 92 |
| Bellevue | 1 | 61 |
| Tacoma | 1 | 51 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 222 |
The high proportion of closures (71% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Washington's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flow International | Kent | 110 | Closure | |
| Twin City Foods | Stanwood | 92 | ||
| Hitachi | Bellevue | 61 | Closure | |
| CHI Franciscan Health | Tacoma | 51 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Flow International at its Kent facility, reporting 110 affected workers. Twin City Foods followed with 92 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
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.