Employers in Washington filed 13 WARN Act notices in May 2025, impacting roughly 2,933 workers — representing a notable rise over April and up 95% versus May 2024. The average filing covered 226 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Education | 1 | 100 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 81 |
The Education sector led the way in workforce reductions with 100 workers across 1 notice. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 81 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| King | 3 | 2,093 |
| Yakima | 1 | 198 |
| Skagit | 1 | 119 |
| Klickitat | 1 | 81 |
| Grant | 1 | 1 |
King bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 71% of all affected workers with 2,093 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Redmond | 1 | 1,985 |
| Spokane Valley | 1 | 310 |
| Yakima | 1 | 198 |
| Des Moines | 1 | 131 |
| Sedro Woolley | 1 | 119 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 6 | 2,602 |
| Closure | 3 | 331 |
Closures accounted for 11% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Redmond | 1,985 | Layoff | 2025-05-13 |
| Incyte Diagnostics | Spokane Valley | 310 | Layoff | 2025-05-22 |
| Enterprise for Progress in the Community (EPIC) | Yakima | 198 | Layoff | 2025-05-22 |
| The Bartell Drug Company (Rite Aid) | Des Moines | 131 | Closure | 2025-05-07 |
| LifeSkills Connection Inc | Sedro Woolley | 119 | Closure | 2025-05-30 |
| College Success Foundation | Bellevue | 100 | Layoff | 2025-05-12 |
| SDS Lumber LLC | Bingen | 81 | Closure | 2025-05-01 |
| Starbucks | Seattle | 8 | Layoff | 2025-05-05 |
| Emerald Transport Inc | Quincy | 1 | Layoff | 2025-05-27 |
| Incyte Diagnostics | Purchase dataset for city details | N/A | 2025-05-22 | |
| Enterprise for Progress in the Community (EPIC) | Purchase dataset for city details | N/A | 2025-05-22 | |
| Emerald Transport Inc | Purchase dataset for city details | N/A | 2025-05-27 | |
| LifeSkills Connection Inc | Purchase dataset for city details | N/A | 2025-05-30 |
The single largest action involved Microsoft at its Redmond facility, reporting 1,985 affected workers. Incyte Diagnostics followed with 310 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the Washington labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Education 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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