Chart

Washington's 1,000-worker sites grew faster than the U.S.

Private worksites with 1,000 or more employees, first quarter of each year, indexed so 2019 equals 100, Washington versus the United States, 2019-2026.

Credit: FactHub Research Team; data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages

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Line chart, 2019 to 2026. Washington's count of private worksites with 1,000 or more workers rises from 117 (index 100) to 154 (index 132), with a step up in 2023. The U.S. count rises from 6,329 to 6,762 (index 107). — Washington had 117 private worksites with 1,000 or more workers in early 2019, 119 in 2022, 137 in 2023, 153 in 2025 and 154 in 2026. The U.S. count went from 6,329 to 6,762. Washington's count rose about 32% and the U.S. count about 7%.

What this chart asks

Is Washington losing its very large private worksites?

Why it is shown this way

An index puts Washington's 117-154 sites and the U.S.'s 6,000-plus on one scale.
A line shows the year-to-year path, and hovering shows each year's raw count.

Chart annotations

These markers provide relevant context for interpreting the chart. Their timing or position does not, by itself, establish causation.

2019 level

Threshold: 100

Why this is marked: Marks the base year so readers can see which years are above or below it.

Washington count steps up as its business records change

2023

Washington's total business count fell sharply in 2022-23 while jobs rose, a sign of changes in how employer accounts are recorded.

Why this is marked: Flags a possible administrative effect on the 2023 value; it is not an observed event.

Data and accessibility

Download chart data · Open accessible table · Download PNG · Download SVG

Dataset wa-big-employers-business-counts, analysis big-sites-index

Sources

This chart draws on the sources of the dataset versions it visualizes.

Washington's big employers and business counts, 2019-2026

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, EDGAR submissions API Business address and latest annual report (Form 10-K) for each company, from https://data.sec.gov/submissions/CIK##########.json
Retrieved November 3, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

Reliability: Government. Addresses are what each company reports to the SEC on its filings. The SEC has no stake in where companies locate.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW establishment size data First-quarter counts of private worksites with 1,000 or more employees and their March employment, 2019-2026 (same file pattern for each year)
Retrieved November 3, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

Reliability: Government. Built from unemployment-insurance tax reports that nearly all employers file each quarter. Washington's data come from the state Employment Security Department.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW series ENU5300020510, ENUUS00020510, ENU5300010510, ENUUS00010510 Private-sector establishment counts and employment, Washington and U.S.
Retrieved November 3, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

Reliability: Government. Same unemployment-insurance records as the size data. Establishment counts depend on how employers' reporting units are recorded.
Washington Employment Security Department, WARN layoff and closure database Every layoff and closure notice in the database, June 2018 to November 2, 2026
Retrieved November 3, 2026. Public record (Washington state government). Permitted

Reliability: Government. Notices are filed by employers under the federal WARN Act and, from July 27, 2025, Washington's own notice law. ESD lists them by the date it receives them. The first 15 rows of the copy matched the live table on November 3, 2026.
Washington State Legislature, RCW 49.45.010 Definitions of covered employer and mass layoff in Washington's notice law (2025 c 277)
Retrieved November 3, 2026. Public record (Washington state government). Permitted

Reliability: Government. Official statute text from the Code Reviser.
Washington Employment Security Department Date the state notice law took effect
Retrieved November 3, 2026. Public record (Washington state government). Permitted

Reliability: Government. The agency that administers the notice law and keeps the database.
29 U.S. Code 2101 (Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School) Federal WARN Act definitions of employer and mass layoff
Retrieved November 3, 2026. Public domain statute text. Permitted

Reliability: Academic. Cornell's copy of the U.S. Code text.
Census Bureau Business Formation Statistics via FRED, BAHBATOTALNSAWA Monthly high-propensity business applications, Washington, not seasonally adjusted
Retrieved November 3, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

Reliability: Government. Census counts applications for federal employer ID numbers and flags those likely to become employers. FRED republishes the series unchanged.
Census Bureau Business Formation Statistics via FRED, BAHBATOTALNSAUS Monthly high-propensity business applications, United States, not seasonally adjusted
Retrieved November 3, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

Reliability: Government. Same Census program as the Washington series.
FRED, resident population WAPOP (Census) and B230RC0A052NBEA (BEA) Annual population of Washington and the U.S. (U.S. series https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/B230RC0A052NBEA), used for per-person rates
Retrieved November 3, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

Reliability: Government. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis population estimates.
Washington Employment Security Department, Monthly Employment Report charts workbook, September 2026 Over-the-year job change by industry, September 2025 to September 2026 (sheet 'Industry employment OTY, nsa', updated October 14, 2026)
Retrieved November 3, 2026. Public record (Washington state government). Permitted

Reliability: Government. ESD's monthly survey-based estimates (Current Employment Statistics), revised when benchmarked to tax records.
Deseret News Brian Heywood's statement on losing businesses
Retrieved November 3, 2026. All rights reserved (quoted under fair use). Link only; short quotation

Reliability: News report. News report by Emily Walker quoting Heywood directly.
Washington Policy Center Commentary claiming a business exodus, May 28, 2026
Retrieved November 3, 2026. All rights reserved (quoted under fair use). Link only; short quotation

Reliability: Advocacy group. Has a stake in this finding. A Washington think tank that argues for lower taxes and less regulation. The piece is by its director of small business policy.
Southern Business & Development Avalara headquarters now Durham, June 24, 2024
Retrieved November 3, 2026. All rights reserved. Link only

Reliability: News report. Economic-development trade publication quoting the company.
Trade & Industry Development Starbucks Nashville office, April 22, 2026
Retrieved November 3, 2026. All rights reserved. Link only

Reliability: News report. Economic-development trade publication reporting the Tennessee announcement.
KIRO 7 Columbia Bank executive office in Arizona, October 2026
Retrieved November 3, 2026. All rights reserved. Link only

Reliability: News report. Local TV news report summarizing the Puget Sound Business Journal.

Limitations

Counts worksites, not companies; one employer can run several.
Washington's count jumped between 2022 and 2023, when its overall business counts show a recording change, so part of that step may be administrative.
2026 is preliminary.
The Y axis does not start at zero.

Articles and datasets using this chart

Article Washington's business climate is slipping, though big employers stay.

Version details

The exact citing versions, and the version of this chart each cites.

Article wa-big-employers-not-leaving — version 4 (published) cites version 1
Article wa-big-employers-not-leaving — version 3 (published) cites version 1
Article wa-big-employers-not-leaving — version 2 (published) cites version 1

Node: chart:wa-large-worksites-vs-us:1