Employers in Washington recorded 56 WARN Act notices in May 2020, covering approximately 3,393 workers — marking a decline from April and up 141% versus May 2019. The average filing covered 61 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 6 | 232 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | 123 |
| Transportation | 2 | 68 |
The Accommodation & Food sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 232 workers across 6 notices. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 123 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 20 | 2,491 |
| Grays Harbor | 1 | 132 |
| Pierce | 1 | 96 |
| Walla Walla | 1 | 68 |
| Kitsap | 1 | 51 |
King bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 73% of all affected workers with 2,491 workers across 20 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 17 | 2,325 |
| Seattle, Des Moines | 1 | 282 |
| Everett, Kirkland, and Monroe | 1 | 169 |
| Cosmopolis | 1 | 132 |
| Kent | 1 | 123 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 26 | 3,156 |
| Closure | 3 | 237 |
Closures accounted for 7% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holland America Line NV | Seattle | 583 | Layoff | 2020-05-27 |
| Happy Guests International d/b/a Salty's | Seattle, Des Moines | 282 | Layoff | 2020-05-29 |
| Hyatt Corporation / Hyatt Regency Seattle | Seattle | 276 | Layoff | 2020-05-27 |
| Gate Gourmet, Inc | Seattle | 207 | Layoff | 2020-05-20 |
| Renaissance Seattle Hotel | Seattle | 190 | Layoff | 2020-05-19 |
| Lee Johnson Auto Family | Everett, Kirkland, and Monroe | 169 | Layoff | 2020-05-08 |
| Flying Food Group, LLC | Seattle | 153 | Layoff | 2020-05-14 |
| Hyatt Corporation / Grand Hyatt Seattle | Seattle | 152 | Layoff | 2020-05-27 |
| Cosmo Specialty Fibers, Inc | Cosmopolis | 132 | Layoff | 2020-05-01 |
| Cox Automotive | Kent | 123 | Layoff | 2020-05-11 |
| Hyatt Corporation / Hyatt at Olive 8 | Seattle | 123 | Layoff | 2020-05-27 |
| YMCA of Greater Seattle | Seattle | 122 | Layoff | 2020-05-19 |
| Princess Cruise Lines Ltd | Seattle | 122 | Layoff | 2020-05-27 |
| Hyatt Corporation / Hyatt Regency Seattle | Seattle | 106 | Layoff | 2020-05-27 |
| Saint-Gobain | Puyallup | 96 | Closure | 2020-05-28 |
Leading the list was Holland America Line NV at its Seattle facility, reporting 583 affected workers. Happy Guests International d/b/a Salty's followed with 282 workers.
The filings reflect a mixed picture for Washington's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Accommodation & Food 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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