Analysis

One-off pieces asking a specific question of the public records, rather than the regular monthly summaries. Each uses the data as it stood on a particular day, so the figures are a snapshot rather than a running total.

• A card-room chain filed nearly a third of 2026's closure notices

  Maverick Washington filed 13 of the year's 44 closure notices, for 1,276 workers at card rooms in seven counties. Its notices say a new owner or operator could keep some open.

  Data as of October 23, 2026.

• Why Washington's layoff numbers now jump every fall

  Farms and orchards filed 12 of September's 37 WARN notices, with 68% of its 13,258 workers. In the 21 years before 2025 they filed 10 fall notices in all.

  Data as of October 2, 2026.

• What the layoff record actually shows about AI in Washington

  Tech went from 3% of Washington's reported layoff workers in 2024 to 44% of 2026 filings by mid-September. What that number does and doesn't tell you about AI.

  Data as of September 15, 2026.

• Washington added developers while cutting customer service

  State wage data shows software developer employment up 17% and customer service down 11% in a single year. The pattern is suggestive, and the survey is not built to prove it.

  Data as of September 15, 2026.

• What twenty years of Washington layoff filings actually show

  Washington employers have filed WARN notices since 2004. The record has one enormous spike, a couple of quieter surprises, and a few things it cannot tell you.

  Data as of September 10, 2026.

• Where Washington layoffs actually happen

  King County accounts for more WARN filings than the rest of the state combined. Here is how the five busiest counties compare, and why the ranking is less obvious than it looks.

  Data as of September 10, 2026.