Washington Layoffs — May 2021
Employers in Washington recorded 5 WARN Act notices in May 2021, covering approximately 208 workers — marking a sharp increase from April and down 94% versus May 2020. The average filing covered 42 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 65 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 65 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 40 |
| Education | 2 | 38 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 65 workers across 1 notice. At the same time, Professional Services reported 65 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 2 | 81 |
| Snohomish | 1 | 65 |
| Yakima | 1 | 40 |
| Spokane | 1 | 22 |
King absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 39% of all affected workers with 81 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 2 | 81 |
| Everett | 1 | 65 |
| Yakima | 1 | 40 |
| Spokane | 1 | 22 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 105 |
| Layoff | 1 | 22 |
Closures accounted for 50% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collins Aerospace | Everett | 65 | Closure | |
| Electronic Transaction Consultants | Seattle | 65 | ||
| Yakima Herald-Republic | Yakima | 40 | Closure | |
| Durham School Services | Spokane | 22 | Layoff | |
| Rosetta Stone | Seattle | 16 |
Leading the list was Collins Aerospace at its Everett facility, reporting 65 affected workers. Electronic Transaction Consultants followed with 65 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect 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.