Total Workers Affected
157
Across all WARN notices
Employer · WARN Act history · Retail Trade
Sears
157 workers across 4 WARN notices, primarily in WA - recorded in the current PlainLayoffs dataset.
- 157
- Workers cut
- 4
- WARN notices
- 2
- States
- 39
- Avg / notice
Sears has 4 recorded WARN filings affecting 157 workers
According to WARN Act filings submitted to state workforce agencies, Sears has 4 recorded filings covering 157 workers across 2 states, primarily WA, the 1,463rd-largest recorded WARN footprint among 6,916 tracked employers. WARN only covers mass layoffs at employers with 100+ employees, so this is a floor on the employer's actual workforce changes.
The verdict
Sears put 157 workers on WARN notice across 4 filings - the 1,463rd-largest WARN footprint of 6,916 tracked employers.
- #1,463
- of 6,916 employers by workers affected
- Top 21%
- larger than 79% of tracked employers
- 4
- Recorded WARN filings
- 2
- states affected, led by WA
Where Sears Falls Among Tracked Employers
6,916 employers with a WARN filing, bucketed by total workers affected
Number of Notices
4
Recorded WARN Act filings
Latest Event Date
Apr 2018
Most recent filing
Not all layoffs appear in WARN data, see our methodology for the federal + state coverage thresholds.
Reported Layoff Scale (by Workers Affected) 30.0%
157 workers across recorded WARN events, a raw count, not adjusted for the employer's total headcount.
WARN Notice History
2018
Facility Closure
Redmond, WA · Retail Trade
Effective: Jul 8, 2018
68
workers
Filed Apr 25, 2018
2014
Facility Closure
Seattle, WA · Retail Trade
Effective: Jun 1, 2014
13
workers
Filed Feb 20, 2014
2012
Mass Layoff
Lynchburg, VA · Retail Trade
Effective: Jan 15, 2013
5
workers
Filed Nov 15, 2012
Mass Layoff
Lynchburg, VA · Retail Trade
Effective: Jan 23, 2013
71
workers
Filed Oct 23, 2012
How Sears compares in Retail Trade
| # | Employer | Workers cut | Notices | Lead state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon | 41,418 | 112 | CA |
| 2 | Bed Bath Beyond | 14,000 | 1 | NJ |
| 3 | Walgreens Boots Alliance | 10,000 | 1 | IL |
| 4 | Tuesday Morning | 8,000 | 1 | TX |
| 5 | Sears Holdings | 5,110 | 2 | IN |
| 6 | Walmart | 4,022 | 17 | WA |
| 7 | Lord and Taylor | 3,500 | 1 | NY |
| 8 | Wayfair | 3,400 | 2 | MA |
| 9 | Sears (this page) | 157 | 4 | WA |
What this means for WA workers
Sears has 4 recorded WARN filings covering 157 workers, most recently on Apr 25, 2018.
- If you are affected, file for unemployment and contact your state's rapid-response program inside the WARN Act's 60-day notice window. What to do after a layoff
- Check whether the required notice pay was provided, the WARN Act can entitle workers to up to 60 days of pay when notice is skipped. Estimate WARN pay
- See recorded WARN notices in WA, where Sears's filings were reported. WA layoffs
WARN Act filings only capture layoffs of 50+ workers at sites of 100+ employees, so smaller reductions, contractor non-renewals, and voluntary separations are not shown here.
Reading the Sears WARN Record
Sears has 4 WARN Act filings in this dataset, covering 157 workers between Oct 23, 2012 and Apr 25, 2018. As with any WARN count, the true figure runs somewhat higher (why). By total workers affected, Sears ranks #250 of 757 tracked employers in WA. Among the 8 other Retail Trade employers with recorded WARN filings, the median is 6,555 affected workers -- Sears's 157 sits well below that group's typical scale. Filings span 2 states, most concentrated in WA (Retail Trade), so more than one state workforce agency and mini-WARN threshold applied depending on where each notice was filed.
Averaging 39 workers per notice, Sears's filings fall into a pattern that suggests targeted team or department cuts that still crossed the WARN reporting threshold. The 4 notices on file represent distinct events, each triggering a 60-day advance warning obligation that fed into state rapid-response systems.
Workers on WA-based Sears notices should contact the WA workforce agency directly, response teams, severance negotiation guidance, and TAA (Trade Adjustment Assistance) screening move fastest in the days immediately following a notice. See what to do after a layoff for the full benefits timeline. This record reflects filed notices only; subsequent hiring, rescinded closures, or facility reopenings are not tracked by WARN disclosures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sears laying off workers? ▼
Sears has filed 4 WARN Act notices affecting 157 workers across 2 states. The most recent notice was filed on Apr 25, 2018.
How many people has Sears laid off? ▼
According to WARN Act filings, Sears has affected 157 workers total, averaging 39 workers per notice.
What states has Sears had layoffs in? ▼
Sears has filed WARN notices in 2 states: VA, WA.
What is a WARN Act notice? ▼
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60 days advance notice of plant closings and mass layoffs affecting 50 or more workers. Not all layoffs require WARN notice.
What benefits are available after a Sears layoff? ▼
Workers affected by a WARN-notified layoff may be eligible for unemployment insurance, COBRA health coverage continuation, job retraining through the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, and severance packages if offered by the employer. State workforce agencies often provide additional rapid response services.
How does Sears's layoff history compare to the industry? ▼
Sears has affected 157 workers across 4 WARN filings in the Retail Trade sector. The federal WARN Act only captures layoffs affecting 50 or more workers, so actual workforce changes may be larger.
Data sourced from official state WARN-Act layoff registries. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainLayoffs Editorial
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from state WARN Act filings. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Download the data behind this page
The full PlainLayoffs employer roster, covering every recorded employer including Sears, is available as CSV. Underlying WARN Act filings are public records; see our methodology for the compilation method.
Every figure on PlainLayoffs is rendered directly from public WARN Act filings and state workforce agency records, no number is typed in by an editor. This employer's notice history is rendered directly from state WARN Act filings. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026. A WARN filing is a legally required notice, not a judgment of a company's management or financial health; rankings here reflect filed notice volume only.
| Publisher | PlainLayoffs |
| Sources | Public state WARN-Act layoff registries |