OLYMPIA—Five companies notified the Washington Employment Security Department in late August and early September 2026 of plans to permanently layoff nearly 600 workers, according to Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) filings. The notices, received between Aug. 31 and Sept. 2, cover a mix of tech, manufacturing, fulfillment and casino operations and take effect from early October through early November.
The filings arrive as Washington’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 5.0% in July 2026, up from 4.6% in July 2025. The official rate had climbed gradually through late 2025 and the first half of 2026 before a modest July decline. Broader underemployment, measured by the U-6 rate that includes people working part time for economic reasons and those marginally attached to the labor force, reached a four-quarter average of 9.7% through the second quarter of 2026, higher than the 8.7% recorded through the second quarter of 2025.
Amazon accounted for 121 of the latest separations. The company filed notice on Aug. 28, received by the state on Aug. 31, covering employees at its Sumner fulfillment center and multiple Seattle and Bellevue offices plus one remote worker living in Washington. Separations are scheduled in phases from Oct. 1 through Oct. 27, with the largest group of 66 leaving on Oct. 20. Affected workers who accept internal transfers before their dates will not be separated. Eligible employees will receive information on benefits and severance separately; all will be paid wages and benefits through their separation dates if they do not resign earlier, Amazon announced in the WARN. Roles include fulfillment center associates, software development engineers at various levels, applied scientists, program and product managers, a director of human resources, a vice president of legal and support technicians.
Maverick Washington LLC notified the state of the permanent closure of two Tukwila casinos. Riverside Casino, at 14060 Interurban Ave. S., will close Nov. 1 and affect approximately 142 employees. A companion notice for Great American Casino listed 96 workers with the same effective date. Both filings state the closures are not the result of relocation or contracting out of operations. Hourly employees at Riverside are represented by Teamsters Local 117. Positions span table-game dealers and floor supervisors, servers, line cooks, bartenders, cage cashiers, security specialists, surveillance observers and managers.
Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC filed on Sept. 1 for the permanent closure of its entire Tacoma gypsum plant at 1240 Alexander Ave. Approximately 120 jobs will end Oct. 30, though some dates may shift for shutdown work. The company will provide at least 60 days’ pay and benefits in accordance with WARN. Hourly workers are represented by Teamsters Local 117 and have no bumping rights. Affected titles include production associates, loaders, forklift and machine operators, sluer and knife operators, mechanics, electricians, quality-lab technicians, supervisors, a plant manager and safety and environmental staff.
Qualtrics LLC, an experience-management software firm, filed notice received Sept. 2 covering 117 employees who work at or report into its Seattle office at 1201 Second Ave. Separations begin Oct. 18 and are described as permanent. The company said the action is not due to relocation or contracting out. Employees will continue to receive regular pay and benefits through their designated dates unless they resign earlier. The layoff list is dominated by software engineers, product managers, UX designers, analysts, solution architects, marketing managers and directors.
Rapid-response teams from the Employment Security Department will contact affected workers after WARN notices to offer unemployment-insurance information, job-search assistance and training resources.
Author: Mario Lotmore
