As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 12, 1996.
    
                                                       Registration No. 333-3183
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                                 UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                            ------------------------
   
                                AMENDMENT NO. 2
                                       TO
                                    FORM S-3
                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
    
                            ------------------------
                               LABOR READY, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its Charter)
 

                                                                  
             WASHINGTON                             7360                            91-1287341
     (State of Incorporation or         (Primary Standard Industrial       (IRS Employer Identification
           Organization)                Classification Code Number)                   Number)

 
                 2156 PACIFIC AVENUE, TACOMA, WASHINGTON 98402
                                 (206) 383-9101
   (Address including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of
                   registrant's principal executive offices)
 
        RALPH E. PETERSON, 2156 PACIFIC AVENUE, TACOMA, WASHINGTON 98402
                                 (206) 383-9101
 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
                             of agent for service)
                            ------------------------
                                 WITH COPIES TO
 

                                                                  
       MARK R. BEATTY, ESQ.              MICHAEL M. FLEMING, ESQ.        WILLIAM E. VAN VALKENBERG, ESQ.
       GARY J. KOCHER, ESQ.              RYAN SWANSON & CLEVELAND            BRADLEY B. FURBER, ESQ.
      PRESTON GATES & ELLIS           1201 THIRD AVENUE, SUITE 3400         VAN VALKENBERG FURBER LAW
   701 FIFTH AVENUE, SUITE 5000             SEATTLE, WA 98101                     GROUP P.L.L.C.
        SEATTLE, WA 98104               TELEPHONE: (206) 464-4224         1325 FOURTH AVENUE, SUITE 940
    TELEPHONE: (206) 623-7580                                                   SEATTLE, WA 98101
                                                                            TELEPHONE: (206) 464-0637

 
                            ------------------------
 
        APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC:
   AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE AFTER THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT BECOMES EFFECTIVE.
                            ------------------------
 
    If  the  only securities  being registered  on this  form are  being offered
pursuant to a dividend or interest reinvestment plan, please check the following
box: / /
 
    If any securities  being registered  on this  Form are  to be  offered on  a
delayed  or continuous basis  pursuant to Rule  415 under the  Securities Act of
1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest
reinvestment plans, check the following box. / /
 
    If this Form  is filed  to register  additional securities  for an  offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and  list  the  Securities  Act registration  statement  number  of  the earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering. / /
 
    If this Form  is a post-effective  amendment filed pursuant  to Rule  462(c)
under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities
Act   registration  statement  number  of  the  earlier  effective  registration
statement for the same offering. / /
 
    If delivery of the prospectus is expected  to be made pursuant to Rule  434,
please check the following box. / /
                            ------------------------
 
   
                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
    
 
   


                                                                   PROPOSED        PROPOSED
                                                                   MAXIMUM         MAXIMUM
                                                                  AGGREGATE       AGGREGATE       AMOUNT OF
                                                AMOUNT TO BE      PRICE PER        OFFERING      REGISTRATION
      TITLE OF SHARES TO BE REGISTERED         REGISTERED (1)     SHARE (2)       PRICE (2)        FEE (3)
                                                                                    
Common Stock, no par value..................  1,495,000 shares      $25.50       $38,122,500       $13,146

    
 
   
(1)  Includes 195,000 shares which the  Underwriters have the option to purchase
    to cover over-allotments, if any.
    
 
(2) The proposed  maximum price  per share  and the  proposed maximum  aggregate
    offering  price is based on  the average of the bid  and asked prices of the
    Company's Common  Stock  on  the  OTC Bulletin  Board  on  April  26,  1996,
    calculated in accordance with rule 457(c) under the Securities Act of 1933.
 
   
(3) $9,716 of the registration fee has been paid previously.
    
                            ------------------------
 
    THE  REGISTRANT HEREBY  AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION  STATEMENT ON  SUCH DATE OR
DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL
FILE A  FURTHER  AMENDMENT  WHICH SPECIFICALLY  STATES  THAT  THIS  REGISTRATION
STATEMENT  SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN  ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(A) OF
THE SECURITIES ACT  OF 1933, OR  UNTIL THE REGISTRATION  STATEMENT SHALL  BECOME
EFFECTIVE  ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(A),
MAY DETERMINE.
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INFORMATION   CONTAINED  HEREIN  IS  SUBJECT   TO  COMPLETION  OR  AMENDMENT.  A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT  RELATING TO  THESE SECURITIES  HAS BEEN  FILED WITH  THE
SECURITIES  AND EXCHANGE  COMMISSION. THESE SECURITIES  MAY NOT BE  SOLD NOR MAY
OFFERS TO BUY BE ACCEPTED PRIOR  TO THE TIME THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT  BECOMES
EFFECTIVE.  THIS  PROSPECTUS  SHALL  NOT  CONSTITUTE AN  OFFER  TO  SELL  OR THE
SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THESE  SECURITIES
IN  ANY STATE IN WHICH SUCH OFFER,  SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR
TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH STATE.

   
                   Subject to Completion, Dated June 12, 1996
    
 
   
                                1,300,000 SHARES
    
 
                               [LABOR READY LOGO]
 
                                  COMMON STOCK
 
   
    All of the 1,300,000 shares of Common Stock offered hereby are being sold by
Labor Ready,  Inc.  ("Labor  Ready"  or the  "Company").  The  Common  Stock  is
currently  traded on the OTC  Bulletin Board under the  symbol LBOR. On June 11,
1996, the closing bid price of the Common Stock was $26.00 per share. See "Price
Range of Common Stock and Dividend  Policy." The Common Stock has been  approved
for  quotation on the Nasdaq National  Market upon commencement of this offering
under the symbol "LBOR."
    
 
   THE COMMON STOCK OFFERED HEREBY INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK. SEE "RISK
               FACTORS" COMMENCING ON PAGE 6 OF THIS PROSPECTUS.
 
         THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE
           SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES
                 COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
                 COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION
                  PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS
                     PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE
                        CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

                                           
                        PRICE TO     UNDERWRITING    PROCEEDS TO
                         PUBLIC      DISCOUNT (1)    COMPANY (2)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Per Share...........        $              $              $
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Total(3)............        $              $              $

 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
(1)  See  "Underwriting"  for  indemnification  arrangements  with  the  several
    underwriters.
 
(2) Before deducting expenses payable by the Company, estimated at $564,000.
 
   
(3)  The Company has granted the Underwriters  a 45-day option to purchase up to
    an  additional   195,000   shares   of  Common   Stock   solely   to   cover
    over-allotments,  if any. If the Underwriters  exercise this option in full,
    the Price to Public will total  $        , Underwriting Discount will  total
    $            , and  the  Proceeds to  Company will  total  $           . See
    "Underwriting."
    
 
    The shares of  Common Stock are  offered by the  several Underwriters  named
herein  subject to receipt and acceptance by them and subject to their rights to
reject any  order in  whole or  in part.  It is  expected that  delivery of  the
certificates  representing such shares will be made against payment therefore at
the office of Van Kasper & Company,  San Francisco, California on or about  June
  , 1996.
 
                              VAN KASPER & COMPANY
 
                                 JUNE   , 1996

                                     [LOGO]
 
                            ------------------------
 
    IN  CONNECTION WITH THIS OFFERING, THE UNDERWRITERS MAY OVER-ALLOT OR EFFECT
TRANSACTIONS WHICH STABILIZE OR MAINTAIN THE MARKET PRICE OF THE COMMON STOCK OF
THE COMPANY AT  A LEVEL ABOVE  THAT WHICH  MIGHT OTHERWISE PREVAIL  IN THE  OPEN
MARKET  OR OTHERWISE. SUCH  TRANSACTIONS MAY BE EFFECTED  ON THE NASDAQ NATIONAL
MARKET, IN  THE  OVER-THE-COUNTER  MARKET OR  OTHERWISE.  SUCH  STABILIZING,  IF
COMMENCED, MAY BE DISCONTINUED AT ANY TIME.
 
                                       2

                     [MAP OF LABOR READY DISPATCH OFFICES]

                               PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
 
    THE  FOLLOWING SUMMARY  IS QUALIFIED  IN ITS  ENTIRETY BY  THE MORE DETAILED
INFORMATION, INCLUDING "RISK FACTORS" AND THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL  STATEMENTS
AND  NOTES THERETO, APPEARING ELSEWHERE IN  THIS PROSPECTUS. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE
NOTED, (I)  ALL  INFORMATION IN  THIS  PROSPECTUS  ASSUMES NO  EXERCISE  OF  THE
UNDERWRITERS'  OVER-ALLOTMENT OPTION AND HAS BEEN  ADJUSTED TO REFLECT ALL STOCK
SPLITS DURING THE  PERIODS PRESENTED  AND (II)  REFERENCES TO  THE "COMPANY"  OR
"LABOR  READY" ARE TO THE  CONSOLIDATED OPERATIONS OF LABOR  READY, INC. AND ITS
SUBSIDIARIES.
 
                                  THE COMPANY
 
    Labor Ready, Inc. ("Labor  Ready" or the "Company")  is a leading,  national
provider of temporary workers for manual labor jobs. The Company's customers are
primarily in the construction, freight handling, warehousing, landscaping, light
manufacturing,  and other light industrial  businesses. These businesses require
workers for lifting, hauling, cleaning, assembling, digging, painting and  other
types  of manual  work. The Company  has rapidly grown  from eight Company-owned
dispatch offices in 1991 to 146  Company-owned dispatch offices at May 1,  1996.
Substantially  all of  the growth  in dispatch  offices was  achieved by opening
locations rather than  through acquisitions.  The Company's  revenues grew  from
$6.0  million to $94.4 million  from 1991 through 1995.  This revenue growth has
been generated  both  by opening  new  dispatch  offices and  by  continuing  to
increase sales at existing dispatch offices. In 1995, the average cost to open a
new  dispatch office  was approximately $35,000  and dispatch  offices opened in
1995 typically generated revenues sufficient  to cover their operating costs  in
two  to six months. In 1995, the average annual revenue per dispatch office open
for more than a full year was $1.3 million.
 
    The Company's  expansion  strategy is  to  open dispatch  offices  in  every
metropolitan  area in the United  States and to continue  to increase its market
penetration in markets  it presently serves.  The Company currently  anticipates
opening approximately 94 dispatch offices in 1996, of which 40 have already been
opened,  and 100 dispatch offices in 1997. The Company uses its branch locations
as traditional "dispatch offices" where  workers (and prospective workers)  meet
to   complete   required  documentation,   receive  work   assignments,  arrange
transportation to and from the  job site, and are paid  at the end of each  work
day.  The Company has  standardized the operation,  general design, staffing and
equipment of the dispatch offices and has typically opened new dispatch  offices
in four to six weeks after identifying and securing a lease for a specific site.
Dispatch  office leases  generally permit  the Company  to terminate  on 30 days
notice and upon payment of three months rent.
 
    The Company's  objective is  to  become the  leading provider  of  temporary
workers  for manual labor in the United States by emphasizing responsiveness and
overall quality of service to customers. To achieve that objective, the  Company
opens  its offices  no later  than 5:30 a.m.,  provides workers  on short notice
(often the  same  day as  requested),  and offers  a  "satisfaction  guaranteed"
policy.  The  Company attracts  its workers  by treating  them with  respect and
through attractive employment  policies. Most workers  find the Company's  "Work
Today,  Paid Today" policy appealing and arrive  at the dispatch office early in
the morning motivated to put in a good day's work and receive a paycheck at  the
end of the day.
 
    The Company relies on its general managers to conduct the overall operations
and  sales and marketing  at its dispatch  offices. In addition  to managing the
recruitment and daily  dispatch of  temporary workers, each  general manager  is
responsible  for  customer  service  and managing  the  dispatch  office's sales
efforts, including identifying and soliciting local businesses likely to have  a
need  for  temporary manual  workers.  At the  corporate  level, the  Company is
currently  developing   and  implementing   coordinated  sales   and   marketing
strategies,   which   include  the   development   of  national   accounts,  the
dissemination  of   information  on   local   construction  activity   and   the
implementation  of  advertising  campaigns  in  targeted  markets  prior  to new
dispatch office openings.
 
    The temporary  staffing  industry  has  grown rapidly  in  recent  years  as
companies  have used temporary employees to  control personnel costs and to meet
fluctuating personnel needs. According to the National Association of  Temporary
Staffing Services ("NATSS"), the United States market for the industrial segment
of  the  temporary staffing  marketplace  (which includes  the  light industrial
market that  the  Company serves)  grew  at a  compound  annual growth  rate  of
approximately 25% from approximately $5.0 billion in 1991 to approximately $12.3
billion  in 1995. The Company believes the temporary staffing industry is highly
fragmented and  presents opportunities  for larger,  well capitalized  companies
that  can effectively manage workers' compensation costs and develop information
systems to efficiently process  the high volume  of transactions and  accurately
coordinate multi-location activities.
 
                                       3

    The  Company is a Washington corporation which was incorporated in 1985. The
Company's principal  executive  offices  are located  at  2156  Pacific  Avenue,
Tacoma, Washington 98402, and its telephone number is (206) 383-9101.
 
                                  THE OFFERING
 
   

                                 
Common Stock offered..............  1,300,000 Shares
Common Stock to be outstanding
after the offering (1)............  7,366,633 Shares
Use of proceeds...................  To  fund  the opening  of  new dispatch  offices through
                                    1997,  purchase  of  an   office  building  in   Tacoma,
                                    Washington,  payment of short-term  debt and for working
                                    capital and other general  corporate purposes. See  "Use
                                    of Proceeds."
Nasdaq National
Market symbol.....................  LBOR

    
 
               SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL AND OPERATING DATA
                 (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
 


                                                                                                        THREE MONTHS
                                                                                                           ENDED
                                                            YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,                      MARCH 31,
                                             -----------------------------------------------------  --------------------
                                               1991       1992       1993       1994       1995     1995 (2)   1996 (2)
                                             ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------
                                                                                          
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS DATA:
Revenues from services.....................  $   6,020  $   8,424  $  15,659  $  38,951  $  94,362  $  12,618  $  26,094
Gross profit...............................      1,189      1,939      3,258      8,238     17,719      2,123      3,886
Income (loss) before taxes on income.......       (715)        86        253      1,188      3,214       (536)    (1,049)
Net income (loss)..........................       (715)       159        269        852      2,062       (354)      (685)
Earnings per common share:
  Income (loss) before extraordinary item..  $   (0.26) $    0.06  $    0.06  $    0.19  $    0.35  $    (.07) $    (.12)
  Extraordinary item.......................         --         --       0.01         --         --         --         --
                                             ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------
  Net income (loss)........................  $   (0.26) $    0.06  $    0.07  $    0.19  $    0.35  $    (.07) $    (.12)
                                             ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------
                                             ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------
Weighted average shares outstanding........      2,721      2,702      3,668      4,363      5,795      5,097      5,949
OPERATING DATA:
Revenues from dispatch offices open for
 full period...............................  $   4,614  $   8,230  $  12,960  $  27,311  $  65,798  $  11,966  $  25,585
Revenues from dispatch offices opened
 during period.............................  $     963  $     194  $   2,699  $  11,640  $  28,310  $     652  $     509
Dispatch offices open at period end........          8         10         17         51        106         68        127

 
- ------------------------
 
(1)  Excludes  (i) 831,768  shares  of Common  Stock  issuable upon  exercise of
    outstanding stock  options and  warrants as  of May  1, 1996  at a  weighted
    average  exercise price of $11.44 per share and (ii) 500,000 shares reserved
    for future grants under the Company's stock option and purchase plans.
 
(2) The information for the quarters ended March 31, 1995 and 1996 is  unaudited
    but   includes  all   adjustments,  consisting  only   of  normal  recurring
    adjustments, that  management considers  necessary  to fairly  present  such
    information.  The results for the three months  ended March 31, 1996 are not
    necessarily indicative  of the  results to  be expected  for the  full  year
    ending December 31, 1996.
 
                                       4

    The  following  tables present  the  Company's revenues  from  services, net
income (loss) and certain operating data  for each calendar quarter since  March
31,  1994. The information  for each of  the quarterly periods  is unaudited but
includes all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments,  that
managment considers necessary to fairly present such information.
 


                                                                MARCH 31,   JUNE 30,   SEPTEMBER 30,  DECEMBER 31,
                                                                  1994        1994         1994           1994
                                                               -----------  ---------  -------------  ------------
                                                                                          
Revenues from services.......................................   $   5,217   $   8,318    $  12,100     $   13,316
Net income (loss)............................................        (135)        327          422            238
Dispatch offices open at period end..........................          27          34           44             51
Earnings (loss) per common share.............................   $   (0.04)  $    0.09    $    0.10     $     0.04

 


                                                                MARCH 31,   JUNE 30,   SEPTEMBER 30,  DECEMBER 31,
                                                                  1995        1995         1995           1995
                                                               -----------  ---------  -------------  ------------
                                                                                          
Revenues from services.......................................   $  12,618   $  19,750    $  30,873     $   31,121
Net income (loss)............................................        (354)        391        1,471            554
Dispatch offices open at period end..........................          68          96          104            106
Earnings (loss) per common share.............................   $   (0.07)  $    0.07    $    0.24     $     0.09

 
                                                                MARCH 31,
                                                                  1996
                                                               -----------
Revenues from services.......................................   $  26,094
Net income (loss)............................................        (685)
Dispatch offices open at period end..........................         127
Earnings (loss) per common share.............................   $   (0.12)
 
   


                                                                               MARCH 31,
                                                                                1996(1)
                                                             DECEMBER    ----------------------
                                                                31,                     AS
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET DATA:                               1995       ACTUAL    ADJUSTED(2)
                                                            -----------  ---------  -----------
                                                                           
Current assets............................................   $  20,730   $  18,220   $  46,067
Total assets..............................................      26,182      25,112      52,959
Current liabilities.......................................       7,956       7,180       7,180
Long-term liabilities.....................................       9,695       9,729       9,729
Total liabilities.........................................      17,650      16,908      16,908
Shareholders' equity......................................       8,532       8,204      36,051
Working capital...........................................      12,774      11,040      38,887

    
 
- ------------------------
(1) The information at March 31, 1996 is unaudited but includes all adjustments,
    consisting  only of normal recurring  adjustments, that management considers
    necessary to fairly present such information.
 
   
(2) Adjusted to  give effect to  the sale  of 1,300,000 shares  of Common  Stock
    offered  by the Company hereby at an assumed public offering price of $23.50
    per share, and the application of the estimated net proceeds therefrom.  See
    "Use of Proceeds" and "Capitalization."
    
 
                                       5

                                  RISK FACTORS
 
    PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE FACTORS SET FORTH BELOW,
IN  ADDITION  TO  THE  OTHER  INFORMATION  CONTAINED  AND  INCORPORATED  IN THIS
PROSPECTUS, IN EVALUATING AN INVESTMENT IN THE COMMON STOCK OFFERED HEREBY.
 
ABILITY TO ACHIEVE AND MANAGE GROWTH
 
    The Company's ambitious growth plans are subject to numerous and substantial
risks. The  Company's ability  to  continue its  growth and  profitability  will
depend  on a number of factors, including  the ability of the Company to attract
and retain  sufficient  qualified  managerial personnel  to  supervise  multiple
dispatch  offices and to manage individual dispatch offices, the availability of
temporary workers in each new location to fill the needs of customers,  existing
and   emerging  competition,   collection  of   accounts  receivable,   and  the
availability of working capital to support anticipated growth. Labor Ready  must
continually  adapt its management structure and  internal control systems as the
Company continues its rapid growth. There can be no assurances that the  Company
will be able to enter new markets through the opening of new dispatch offices or
successfully manage the costs of opening and operating new dispatch offices. Any
inability  to achieve and manage the Company's ambitious growth plans could have
a material adverse  effect on  the Company's business,  financial condition  and
results  of operations. See  "Management's Discussion and  Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results  of Operations,"  "Business -- Company  Strategy" and  "--
Dispatch Office Expansion."
 
DEPENDENCE UPON KEY PERSONNEL
 
    The  Company's success  depends to a  significant extent  upon the continued
service of  Glenn  A.  Welstad,  its Chairman,  President  and  Chief  Executive
Officer,  and other members  of the Company's executive  management. The loss of
any key  executive could  have  a material  adverse  effect upon  the  Company's
business,  financial  condition,  and results  of  operations.  Furthermore, the
Company's future  performance  depends  on its  ability  to  identify,  recruit,
motivate,  and  retain  key management  personnel,  including  general managers,
district managers, area directors, and  other personnel. The failure to  attract
and  retain key management personnel could have a material adverse effect on the
Company's  business,  financial  condition   and  results  of  operations.   See
"Management."
 
GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS, INCREASED EMPLOYEE COSTS AND WORKERS' COMPENSATION
 
    The Company is required to comply with all applicable federal and state laws
and regulations relating to employment, including occupational safety and health
provisions,  wage and hour requirements, including  payment of state and federal
minimum wages, and workers' compensation  and unemployment insurance. Costs  and
expenses  related to these requirements are the Company's second largest expense
and may increase as a result of, among other things, changes in federal or state
laws or  regulations  requiring  employers  to  provide  specified  benefits  to
employees  (such as medical insurance), or increases  in the minimum wage or the
level of existing benefits, increased levels of unemployment, or the lengthening
of periods for which unemployment benefits are available. Furthermore,  workers'
compensation  expenses  and  the  related liability  accrual  are  based  on the
Company's actual  claims  experience in  each  respective state.  The  Company's
management and safety programs attempt to minimize workers' compensation claims,
but  significant claims could require payment of substantial benefits. There can
be no assurance that the  Company will be able to  increase fees charged to  its
customers  to  offset  any increased  costs  and  expenses, which  could  have a
material adverse  effect  on the  Company's  business, financial  condition  and
results   of  operations.  See  "Business  --  Operations"  and  "--  Government
Regulations."
 
ADEQUACY OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS
 
    The Company maintains workers' compensation insurance, as required by  state
laws.  The Company  is required  to pay premiums  or contributions  based on its
business classification, and actual workers' compensation claims experience over
time. In  those states  where  private insurance  is  not allowed,  the  Company
purchases  its insurance through state workers' compensation funds. In all other
states the Company provides coverage through an insurance company licensed to do
business in those states. The Company's insurance policy provides for deductible
amounts of $250,000  per claim and  for 1995 a  deductible for aggregate  claims
 
                                       6

of $5.4 million. The Company deposits amounts based on its claims experience for
those  deductible amounts with an off-shore  insurance company to pay claims not
covered by its insurance  policy. There can be  no assurance that the  Company's
premiums  will not increase  substantially or that  actual workers' compensation
obligations will  not  substantially  exceed  the  premium  deposited  with  the
off-shore insurance company. See "Business -- Operations."
 
RELIANCE ON AND ABILITY TO ATTRACT, DEVELOP AND RETAIN QUALIFIED DISPATCH OFFICE
MANAGERS
 
    The  Company relies significantly on the performance and productivity of its
dispatch  office   general   managers.   Each  general   manager   has   primary
responsibility  for managing  the operations  of the  dispatch office, including
recruiting temporary workers, daily dispatch of temporary workers and collecting
accounts  receivable.   In   addition,   each  general   manager   has   primary
responsibility  for  customer service  and the  dispatch office's  sales efforts
including identifying and soliciting area businesses  likely to have a need  for
temporary  manual workers.  The Company  is highly  dependent on  its ability to
hire, train and  retain qualified  general managers  and the  available pool  of
qualified  candidates  is limited.  Prior to  joining  the Company,  the typical
general manager has little  or no prior experience  in the temporary  employment
industry. The Company commits substantial resources to the training, development
and  operational  support of  its general  managers. In  1995, due  to turnover,
attrition or termination, the Company replaced approximately 26% of its  general
managers. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to continue to
recruit, train and retain qualified general managers; any failure to do so would
have  a material adverse  effect on the  Company's business, financial condition
and results of operations. See "Business  -- Dispatch Office Expansion" and  "--
Operations."
 
COMPETITIVE MARKET
 
    The temporary services industry is highly fragmented and highly competitive,
with  limited  barriers  to  entry. A  large  percentage  of  temporary staffing
companies are local  operations with fewer  than five offices.  Within local  or
regional  markets, these firms  actively compete with  the Company for business.
There are  several  very  large full-service  and  specialized  temporary  labor
companies  competing in national, regional and local markets, many of which have
not aggressively  expanded into  the  Company's market  segment. Many  of  these
competitors  have substantially  greater financial and  marketing resources than
those of the Company and may decide to expand their existing activities into the
Company's market segment at any time. Price competition in the staffing industry
is intense,  particularly  for  provision of  light  industrial  personnel,  and
pricing  pressure from both competitors and customers is increasing. The Company
expects that  the level  of competition  will  remain high  or increase  in  the
future.  Competition,  particularly from  companies  with greater  financial and
marketing resources than the  Company, could have a  material adverse effect  on
the  Company's  business, financial  condition  and results  of  operations. See
"Business -- Competition."
 
RELIANCE ON INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEMS
 
    The Company's business depends upon its ability to store, retrieve,  process
and   manage  significant  amounts  of  information.  The  Company's  management
information systems, including  servers, networks, databases,  backup and  other
systems  essential  for communication  with  dispatch offices,  are  located and
maintained in  the  Company's  Tacoma,  Washington  headquarters.  Interruption,
impairment  of data integrity, loss of  stored data, breakdown or malfunction of
the  Company's  information  processing  systems  caused  by  telecommunications
failure,  conversion difficulties,  undetected data  input and  transfer errors,
unauthorized access,  viruses, natural  disasters,  electrical power  outage  or
disruption,  or  other  events  could  have a  material  adverse  effect  on the
Company's business, financial condition and results of operations. See "Business
- -- Operations."
 
INDUSTRY RISKS
 
    Temporary staffing companies employ  and place people  in the workplaces  of
their  customers. Attendant  risks of  the industry  include possible  claims of
discrimination and  harassment,  employment  of illegal  aliens,  violations  of
occupational,  health and safety, or wage  and hour laws and regulations, errors
and omissions of its temporary employees, misappropriation of funds or property,
other criminal activity or  torts and other  similar claims. Temporary  staffing
companies also are affected by fluctuations and interruptions in the business of
their  customers which could  have a material adverse  effect on their business,
financial condition
 
                                       7

and results  of operations.  The temporary  staffing industry  may be  adversely
affected  if  Congress  or  state legislatures  mandate  specified  benefits for
temporary employees or  otherwise impose  costs and expenses  on employers  that
increase  the  cost or  lessen the  attraction of  using temporary  workers. See
"Business -- Operations" and "-- Government Regulations."
 
LIABILITY FOR ACTS OF TEMPORARY WORKERS
 
    The Company may be held responsible for the actions at a jobsite of  workers
not  under the Company's  direct control. Although  the Company historically has
not experienced significant claims or losses  due to these issues, there can  be
no  assurance that the Company will not  experience such claims or losses in the
future or that  the Company's  insurance, if any,  will provide  coverage or  be
sufficient  in amount or scope to cover any such liability. The Company seeks to
reduce any  liability for  the acts  or omissions  of its  temporary workers  by
specifying  in its contracts  with customers that  the customers are responsible
for all actions or omissions of the temporary workers. There can be no assurance
that the terms  of the contracts  will be enforceable  or that, if  enforceable,
they  would  be sufficient  to preclude  Company  liability as  a result  of the
actions of its temporary personnel or that insurance coverage will be  available
or  adequate in  amount to  cover any  such liability.  If the  Company is found
liable for  the actions  or  omissions of  its  temporary workers  and  adequate
insurance coverage is not available, the Company's business, financial condition
and  results  of  operations could  be  materially and  adversely  affected. See
"Business -- Operations."
 
LIMITED WORKING CAPITAL; ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
 
    In 1995, the Company incurred costs of approximately $2.0 million to open 57
new dispatch offices (an average of approximately $35,000 per dispatch  office).
Once  open, the Company invests significant  amounts of additional cash into the
operations of  new dispatch  offices  until they  begin to  generate  sufficient
revenue to cover their operating costs, generally in two to six months. Further,
the  Company  pays its  temporary  personnel on  a  daily basis,  and  bills its
customers on  a  weekly  basis.  The  average  collection  cycle  for  1995  was
approximately   37  days.  Consequently,  the  Company  experiences  significant
negative cash flow from operations  and investment activities during periods  of
high growth which also adversely impacts the Company's overall profitability. At
March  31, 1996, the Company  had $2.2 million accounts  receivable more than 90
days past due. The Company expects to continue to experience periods of negative
cash flow  from operations  and investment  activities, and  expects to  require
additional sources of capital in order to continue to grow. No assurances can be
given  that  such capital  will be  available on  acceptable terms.  If adequate
sources of working capital are  not available, the Company's anticipated  growth
may  not  be  realized,  thereby  adversely  impacting  the  Company's business,
financial condition and results of operations. See "Management's Discussion  and
Analysis  of  Financial Condition  and Results  of  Operations --  Liquidity and
Capital Resources."
 
EFFECT OF ECONOMIC FLUCTUATIONS
 
    Demand for  the Company's  services  may be  significantly affected  by  the
general  level of  economic activity and  unemployment in the  United States and
specifically within the  construction and light  industrial trades. However,  as
economic  activity increases, such  as in recent  years, temporary employees are
often added to the  work force before regular  employees are hired. As  economic
activity  slows, many companies  reduce their use  of temporary employees before
laying off regular employees. In addition, the Company may experience heightened
levels of competitive pricing pressure during such periods of economic downturn.
World-wide economic conditions and  U.S. trade policies  also impact demand  for
the Company's services. No assurances can be given that the Company will benefit
from  increases in general economic  activity in the U.S.  or that the Company's
rapid expansion will continue. A  slow-down in general economic activity  within
the  construction  and light  industrial trades  could  have a  material adverse
effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.
Depending upon location, new dispatch offices initially target the  construction
industry  for potential customers. As dispatch offices mature, the customer base
broadens and  the mix  of  work diversifies.  See "Management's  Discussion  and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations -- Quarterly Operating
Results."
 
                                       8

SEASONALITY OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS; INCLEMENT WEATHER
 
    Many  of the Company's customers are construction and landscaping businesses
that are significantly  affected by  the weather.  Construction and  landscaping
businesses and, to a lesser degree, other customer businesses typically increase
activity  in spring, summer and early fall  months and decrease activity in late
fall and winter months. Inclement weather can slow construction and  landscaping
activities  during  such  periods.  The  Company  has  generally  experienced  a
significant increase in temporary labor demand  in the spring, summer and  early
fall  months,  and  lower  demand  in  the  late  fall  and  winter  months. See
"Management's Discussion  and Analysis  of Financial  Condition and  Results  of
Operations  --  Quarterly  Operating  Results"  and  "--  Liquidity  and Capital
Resources."
 
LIMITED OPERATING HISTORY FOR DISPATCH OFFICES
 
    The Company  has experienced  significant growth  over the  past few  years,
primarily  as result of opening new dispatch offices. Over half of the Company's
dispatch offices have been open for less than one year. As a result, there is no
assurance that the  newer dispatch offices  will grow at  the rates achieved  at
other   dispatch   offices  or   that  newer   dispatch  offices   will  achieve
profitability. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial  Condition
and Results of Operations -- Overview" and "-- Liquidity and Capital Resources."
 
DEPENDENCE ON AVAILABILITY OF TEMPORARY WORKERS
 
    The  Company must continually attract reliable temporary workers in order to
meet customer needs. The Company competes for such workers with other  temporary
personnel  companies, as well  as actual and potential  customers, some of which
seek to fill positions with either regular or temporary employees. In  addition,
the  Company's  temporary  workers  sometimes become  regular  employees  of the
Company's customers.  From  time  to  time, during  peak  periods,  the  Company
experiences  shortages of  available temporary  workers. The  failure to attract
reliable temporary workers would have a material adverse effect on the Company's
business, financial  condition  and  results of  operations.  See  "Management's
Discussion  and Analysis  of Financial  Condition and  Results of  Operations --
Overview" and "Business -- Operations."
 
CONTROL BY OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
 
   
    The Company's  officers and  directors  and their  affiliates will,  in  the
aggregate, control 17.9% of the Common Stock and 68.1% of the Company's Series A
Preferred  Stock, $0.667 par  value (the "Preferred  Stock"), which represent in
the aggregate 25.3% of  the voting power  of the capital  stock of the  Company,
upon  completion of this offering. As  a result, in certain circumstances, these
shareholders, acting  together,  may  be able  to  determine  matters  requiring
approval  of  the shareholders  of the  Company, including  the election  of the
Company's directors, or, voting as a  separate class, they may delay, defer,  or
prevent  a  change  in control  of  the  Company. In  addition,  holders  of the
Company's subordinated debt have  the contractual right  to nominate one  person
for  election  as  a  director. See  "Management's  Discussion  and  Analysis of
Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations  --  Liquidity  and   Capital
Resources,"   "Management,"   "Principal  Shareholders"   and   "Description  of
Securities."
    
 
VOLATILITY OF STOCK PRICE
 
    The price of the Company's Common Stock has been, and is likely to  continue
to  be, highly  volatile. The  market price of  the Common  Stock has fluctuated
substantially in recent periods. Future announcements concerning the Company  or
its  competitors,  quarterly variations  in  operating results,  introduction or
changes in pricing policies by the Company or its competitors, changes in market
demand, weather  patterns  and  other acts  of  nature  that may  affect  or  be
perceived  to  affect demand  for the  Company's services,  or changes  in sales
growth or earnings estimates by analysts,  among other factors, could cause  the
market  price of the Common Stock to fluctuate substantially. In addition, stock
markets have experienced extreme  price and volume  volatility in recent  years.
This  volatility has had a substantial effect on the market prices of securities
for reasons frequently unrelated  to the operating  performance of the  specific
companies.  These broad market fluctuations  may materially and adversely affect
the market price of the Common Stock. For the foregoing reasons, there can be no
assurance that the market price of the  Common Stock will not decline below  the
public  offering price  or experience  extreme volatility.  See "Price  Range of
Common Stock and Dividend Policy."
 
                                       9

NO CASH DIVIDENDS ON COMMON STOCK
 
    The Company  has never  paid  dividends on  its  Common Stock.  The  Company
anticipates  that for  the foreseeable  future, it  will continue  to retain its
earnings for the operation and expansion of  its business, and that it will  not
pay  cash  dividends on  its  Common Stock.  In  addition, the  Company's credit
agreements restrict the Company's ability  to pay common stock dividends  unless
certain  financial covenants are satisfied. See "Price Range of Common Stock and
Dividend  Policy"  and  "Management's  Discussion  and  Analysis  of   Financial
Condition and Results of Operations -- Liquidity and Capital Resources."
 
SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
 
   
    Sales  of substantial amounts of shares of Common Stock in the public market
following the offering could have an adverse  impact on the market price of  the
Common   Stock.  Upon  completion  of  this  offering,  the  Company  will  have
outstanding approximately  7.4  million  shares of  Common  Stock  (assuming  no
exercise   of  outstanding  options  or  warrants  to  purchase  Common  Stock).
Substantially all of these shares have been registered under the Securities  Act
or are otherwise freely tradeable. See "Description of Capital Stock."
    
 
    The  Company, all  of its  executive officers  and directors  who own Common
Stock and certain beneficial owners of the Common Stock have agreed, subject  to
certain  exceptions, not to offer to sell,  contract to sell, or otherwise sell,
dispose of, loan,  pledge or  grant any  rights with  respect to  any shares  of
Common  Stock, any options or warrants to purchase any shares of Common Stock or
any securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock,  now
owned  or hereafter acquired, for a  period of up to 180  days after the date of
this Prospectus without the prior written  consent of Van Kasper & Company,  the
representative of the Underwriters (the "Representative"). See "Underwriting."
 
    The Company has reserved 500,000 shares of Common Stock available for grants
under  its  1996 Stock  Purchase Plan  and  Stock Option  Plan. The  Company has
options outstanding  to  purchase 125,400  shares  and warrants  outstanding  to
purchase  706,368 shares of Common Stock. The Company has filed and intends (and
is required in the case of  the warrants) to file registration statements  under
the  Securities  Act covering  the  shares of  Common  Stock issuable  under the
warrants and  the Company's  Stock Purchase  Plan and  Stock Option  Plan.  Upon
effectiveness  of such registration, shares issued  upon the exercise of options
covered thereby generally will be freely  tradeable in the open market  (subject
to Rule 144 limitations applicable to affiliates). No predictions can be made as
to  the effect, if any, that future sales of Common Stock or the availability of
Common Stock for  sale will have  on the  market price prevailing  from time  to
time.
 
                                       10

                                USE OF PROCEEDS
 
   
    The  net proceeds to the Company from the sale of the shares of Common Stock
offered hereby, at  an assumed  public offering price  of $23.50  per share  and
after  deducting the underwriting discount and  expenses payable by the Company,
are estimated to be approximately $27,847,000.  The Company intends to use  $7.7
million  of the  proceeds to  fund the opening  of new  dispatch offices through
1997, $2.5 million for the purchase of an office building in Tacoma, Washington,
$15.0 million for working capital (a portion  of which may be used to repay  all
or  a portion of the Company's outstanding subordinated debt, which was incurred
by the Company in October  1995 and bears interest at  a rate of 13.0%) and  the
remainder for payment of short-term debt and general corporate purposes. Pending
such  use, the Company intends to invest  the net proceeds from this offering in
short-term, interest-bearing instruments,  including government obligations  and
money   market  instruments.  The   Company  continually  evaluates  acquisition
opportunities. If the Company identifies an attractive acquisition  opportunity,
the  Company may  use a portion  of the  proceeds to fund  such acquisition. The
Company currently has no commitments with respect to any acquisition.
    
 
                PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK AND DIVIDEND POLICY
 
    The following table sets forth the range  of high and low bid quotation  per
share  for the Common Stock  on the OTC Bulletin  Board operated by the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.  for the periods indicated, as  adjusted
to reflect stock splits.
 
   


                                                                            HIGH        LOW
                                                                          ---------  ---------
                                                                               
Year Ended December 31, 1994
  First Quarter.........................................................  $    2.67  $    1.34
  Second Quarter........................................................       2.50       2.00
  Third Quarter.........................................................       3.50       2.50
  Fourth Quarter........................................................       6.25       3.50
Year Ended December 31, 1995
  First Quarter.........................................................       7.17       6.00
  Second Quarter........................................................      13.67       6.42
  Third Quarter.........................................................      13.67      10.83
  Fourth Quarter........................................................      17.00      10.17
Year Ended December 31, 1996
  First Quarter.........................................................      22.00      13.50
  Second Quarter (through June 11, 1996)................................      33.00      19.00

    
 
   
    The  Company had 639 shareholders of record as of May 1, 1996. The bid price
reflects inter-dealer prices  and does  not include retail  markup, markdown  or
commission.  The bid price does not reflect prices in actual transactions. As of
June 11, 1996 the closing bid price for the Common Stock was $26.00 per share.
    
 
    The present policy of  the Company is to  retain earnings for the  operation
and  expansion of its business. The Company has never paid cash dividends on its
Common Stock and  does not  anticipate that  it will  do so  in the  foreseeable
future.  In addition,  the Company's credit  agreements restrict  the payment of
cash dividends. The  Company pays a  5% cumulative dividend  on its  outstanding
Preferred   Stock.  See   "Selected  Consolidated   Financial  Information"  and
"Management's Discussion  and Analysis  of Financial  Condition and  Results  of
Operations -- Liquidity and Capital Resources."
 
                                       11

                                 CAPITALIZATION
 
   
    The following table sets forth the capitalization of the Company as of March
31, 1996, and as adjusted to reflect the sale by the Company of 1,300,000 shares
of  Common Stock offered hereby and the receipt and application of the estimated
net proceeds  to be  received by  the Company  therefrom, at  an assumed  public
offering price of $23.50 per share and after deducting the underwriting discount
and  estimated  offering expenses  payable  by the  Company.  The capitalization
information set forth in the table below  is qualified by and should be read  in
conjunction  with the Company's more  detailed Consolidated Financial Statements
and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Prospectus.
    
 
   


                                                                                                MARCH 31, 1996
                                                                                            ----------------------
                                                                                             ACTUAL    AS ADJUSTED
                                                                                            ---------  -----------
                                                                                            (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS)
                                                                                                 
Current maturities of long term debt......................................................  $      41   $      41
                                                                                            ---------  -----------
                                                                                            ---------  -----------
Long-term liabilities (1):
  Long term debt, less current maturities.................................................  $     942   $     942
  Subordinated debt, less unamortized discount............................................      8,787       8,787
                                                                                            ---------  -----------
    Total long-term liabilities...........................................................      9,729       9,729
                                                                                            ---------  -----------
Shareholders' equity:
  Preferred stock, $0.667 par value, 5,000,000 shares authorized; 1,281,123 shares issued
   and outstanding........................................................................        854         854
  Common stock, no par value, 25,000,000 shares authorized; 6,030,633 shares issued and
   outstanding and 7,330,633 shares as adjusted (2).......................................      7,490      35,337
  Accumulated deficit.....................................................................       (140)       (140)
                                                                                            ---------  -----------
  Total shareholders' equity..............................................................      8,204      36,051
                                                                                            ---------  -----------
    Total capitalization..................................................................  $  17,933   $  45,780
                                                                                            ---------  -----------
                                                                                            ---------  -----------

    
 
- ------------------------
(1) See Notes 4, 5 and 6 to the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements.
 
(2) Excludes  (i) 831,768  shares  of Common  Stock  issuable upon  exercise  of
    outstanding  stock options  and warrants  as of  May 1,  1996 at  a weighted
    average exercise price of $11.44 per share and (ii) 500,000 shares  reserved
    for future grants under the Company's stock option and purchase plans.
 
                                       12

                  SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
 
    The following selected consolidated financial information of the Company has
been  derived from the Company's  audited Consolidated Financial Statements. The
Consolidated  Balance  Sheets  as  of  December  31,  1994  and  1995,  and  the
Consolidated Statements of Operations, Changes in Shareholders' Equity, and Cash
Flows  for the years ended December 31, 1993,  1994 and 1995 were audited by BDO
Seidman, LLP, whose report thereon  appears elsewhere herein. The Balance  Sheet
Data  at December 31, 1991,  1992 and 1993 and  the Statement of Operations Data
for the years ended December 31, 1991  and 1992, are derived from the  Company's
audited  financial statements which do not  appear herein. The quarterly data at
and for the  three months ended  March 31, 1995  and 1996 are  derived from  the
Company's   unaudited  financial   statements  but   includes  all  adjustments,
consisting only  of  normal  recurring adjustments,  that  management  considers
necessary  to fairly present such  data. The results for  the three months ended
March 31, 1996 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected  for
the  full year ending December 31, 1996.  The data should be read in conjunction
with the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto,  and
Management's  Discussion  and Analysis  of  Financial Condition  and  Results of
Operations included elsewhere herein.
 


                                                                                                             THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                                                    YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,                      MARCH 31,
                                                     -----------------------------------------------------  --------------------
                                                       1991       1992       1993       1994       1995       1995       1996
                                                     ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------
                                                                                                  
                                                                    (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS DATA:
Revenues from services.............................  $   6,020  $   8,424  $  15,659  $  38,951  $  94,362  $  12,618     26,094
Cost of services...................................      4,831      6,485     12,401     30,713     76,643     10,495     22,207
Selling, general, and administrative expenses......      1,717      1,482      2,652      6,593     13,639      2,495      4,500
Interest and other expenses, net...................        187        277        353        457        866        164        436
                                                     ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------
Income (loss) before income tax and extraordinary
 item..............................................       (715)       180        253      1,188      3,214       (536)    (1,049)
Taxes on income....................................     --             21         32        336      1,152       (182)      (364)
Extraordinary item, net of tax.....................     --         --             48     --         --         --         --
                                                     ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------
Net income (loss)..................................  $    (715) $     159  $     269  $     852  $   2,062  $    (354) $    (685)
                                                     ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------
                                                     ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------
Earnings (loss) per common share:
Income (loss) before extraordinary items...........     $(0.26)     $0.06      $0.06      $0.19      $0.35     $(0.07)    $(0.12)
Extraordinary item.................................     --         --          $0.01     --         --         --         --
Net income (loss)..................................     $(0.26)     $0.06      $0.07      $0.19      $0.35     $(0.07)    $(0.12)
 
Weighted average shares outstanding................  2,721,069  2,702,271  3,668,585  4,363,303  5,794,912  5,097,358  5,948,628
 
OPERATING DATA:
Revenues from dispatch offices open for full
 period............................................      4,614      8,230     12,960     27,311     65,798     11,966     25,585
Revenues from dispatch offices opened during
 period............................................        963        194      2,699     11,640     28,310        652        509
Dispatch offices open at period end................          8         10         17         51        106         68        127

 


                                                                          DECEMBER 31,                            MARCH 31,
                                                      -----------------------------------------------------  --------------------
                                                        1991       1992       1993       1994       1995       1995       1996
                                                      ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------
                                                                                                   
                                                                                    (IN THOUSANDS)
BALANCE SHEET DATA:
Current assets......................................  $     812  $   1,454  $   2,313  $   7,572  $  20,730  $   8,314  $  18,220
Total assets........................................      1,149      1,880      3,153      8,912     26,182     10,226     25,112
Current liabilities.................................        436      1,086      1,706      5,631      7,956      6,664      7,180
Long-term liabilities...............................        732        578        777        319      9,695        422      9,729
Total liabilities...................................      1,168      1,664      2,483      5,950     17,651      7,086     16,908
Shareholders' equity (deficit)......................        (19)       216        670      2,962      8,531      3,140      8,204
Cash dividends declared (1).........................     --         --             50         43         43         11         11
Working capital.....................................        376        368        607      1,941     12,774      1,650     11,040

 
- ------------------------------
(1) Represents cash dividends on the Preferred Stock. The Company has never paid
    cash dividends on its Common Stock and  does not anticipate that it will  do
    so  in the foreseeable future. See "Price Range of Common Stock and Dividend
    Policy."
 
                                       13

          MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
                           AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
 
    The  following discussion and analysis should be read in connection with the
Company's Consolidated  Financial Statements  and the  notes thereto  and  other
financial information included elsewhere in this Prospectus.
 
OVERVIEW
 
    Labor  Ready is a leading, national provider of temporary workers for manual
labor jobs.  The  Company's customers  are  primarily in  construction,  freight
handling,   warehousing,  landscaping,  light  manufacturing,  and  other  light
industrial businesses. The Company has rapidly grown from eight dispatch offices
in 1991 to 146 dispatch offices at May 1, 1996. Substantially all of the  growth
in  dispatch offices was achieved by opening Company-owned locations rather than
through acquisitions.  The  Company's  revenues  grew  from  approximately  $6.0
million  to  $94.4 million  from  1991 to  1995.  This revenue  growth  has been
generated both by  opening new dispatch  offices and by  continuing to  increase
sales  at existing  dispatch offices.  In 1995,  the average  annual revenue per
dispatch office open for more than a full year was $1.3 million.
 
    During the remainder of 1996  and 1997, the Company  expects to open 54  and
100  new dispatch offices, respectively. In  1995, the Company incurred costs of
approximately $2.0  million to  open  57 new  dispatch  offices (an  average  of
approximately $35,000 per dispatch office). The Company expects the average cost
of  opening new dispatch offices  to continue to increase  due to more extensive
management training  and the  installation of  more sophisticated  computer  and
other office systems. Further, once open the Company invests significant amounts
of  additional cash into the operations of new dispatch offices until they begin
to generate sufficient revenue to cover their operating costs, generally in  two
to  six months.  The Company pays  its temporary  workers on a  daily basis, and
bills its customers on a weekly basis. The average collection cycle for 1995 was
approximately  37  days.  Consequently,  the  Company  experiences   significant
negative  cash flow from operations and  investment activities during periods of
high growth, which also adversely  impacts the Company's overall  profitability.
The Company expects to continue to experience periods of negative cash flow from
operations and investment activities while it rapidly opens dispatch offices and
expects to require additional sources of working capital in order to continue to
grow. See "-- Results of Operations" and "-- Liquidity and Capital Resources."
 
    Many of the Company's customers are construction and landscaping businesses,
which  are significantly affected  by the weather.  Construction and landscaping
businesses and, to a lesser degree, other customer businesses typically increase
activity in spring, summer and early  fall months and decrease activity in  late
fall  and winter months. Inclement weather can slow construction and landscaping
activities in such periods. As a result, the Company has generally experienced a
significant increase in temporary labor demand  in the spring, summer and  early
fall months, and lower demand in the late fall and winter months.
 
    Depending   upon  location,  new  dispatch   offices  initially  target  the
construction industry for potential customers.  As dispatch offices mature,  the
customer base broadens and the mix of work diversifies. The Company may discount
its  rates when it enters  a new market to attract  customers. From time to time
during peak periods,  the Company experiences  shortages of available  temporary
workers. See "Risk Factors -- Dependence on Availability of Temporary Workers."
 
    Cost  of services primarily  includes wages and  related payroll expenses of
temporary workers  and dispatch  office  employees, general  managers,  district
managers  and  area  directors,  including  workers'  compensation, unemployment
compensation insurance, Medicare and Social Security taxes, but does not include
dispatch offices lease expenses. The Company's cost of services as a  percentage
of  revenues  has  fluctuated significantly  in  recent periods  and  it expects
significant fluctuations to continue in future periods as the Company  continues
its  rapid growth. Cost of  services as a percentage  of revenues is affected by
numerous factors, including  salaries of new  supervisory personnel hired  under
new  management organizational structure, the hiring of large numbers of general
managers prior to dispatch office openings, the use of lower introductory  rates
to  attract  new customers  at new  dispatch offices,  and the  relatively lower
revenues generated by new dispatch offices prior to reaching maturity.
 
                                       14

    Temporary workers assigned to customers remain Labor Ready employees.  Labor
Ready  is responsible  for employee-related  expenses of  its temporary workers,
including workers' compensation,  unemployment compensation insurance,  Medicare
and  Social Security  taxes and general  payroll expenses. The  Company does not
provide health, dental, disability or  life insurance to its temporary  workers.
Generally, the Company bills its customers for the hours worked by the temporary
workers assigned to the customer. Because the Company pays its temporary workers
only  for the hours  actually worked, wages for  the Company's temporary workers
are a  variable cost  that  increases or  decreases  directly in  proportion  to
revenue.  The Company has  one franchisee which  operates five dispatch offices.
The Company does  not intend  to grant additional  franchises. Royalty  revenues
from  the franchised dispatch offices are included in revenues from services and
were not material during any period presented herein. See "Selected Consolidated
Financial Information."
 
    The typical customer  order is  for two  temporary workers  and the  typical
payroll  check  paid by  the Company  is less  than $50.00.  The Company  is not
dependent on any individual  customer for more than  2% of its annual  revenues.
During  1995, the Company had in excess of 29,000 customers and filled more than
800,000 work orders.
 
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
 
    The following table  sets forth  the percentage of  revenues represented  by
certain  items in  the Company's Consolidated  Statements of  Operations for the
periods indicated.
 


                                                                                                   THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                                                YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,                MARCH 31,
                                                         -------------------------------------  ------------------------
                                                            1993         1994         1995         1995         1996
                                                         -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------
                                                                                              
Revenues from services.................................      100.0%       100.0%       100.0%       100.0%       100.0%
Cost of services.......................................       79.2         78.9         81.2         83.2         85.1
Selling, general and administrative expenses...........       16.9         16.9         14.5         19.8         17.2
Interest and other expenses, net.......................        2.3          1.2          0.9          1.3          1.7
Income (loss) before taxes on income and extraordinary
 item..................................................        1.6          3.0          3.4         (4.3)        (4.0)
Net income (loss)......................................        1.7          2.2          2.2         (2.8)        (2.6)

 
THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996 COMPARED TO THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1995
 
    DISPATCH OFFICES.  The Company opened  21 dispatch offices during the  first
quarter  of 1996  compared to  17 dispatch offices  during the  first quarter of
1995.
 
    REVENUES FROM SERVICES.  The  Company's revenues from services increased  to
$26.1  million  for the  three months  ended  March 31,  1996 compared  to $12.6
million for the three months ended March 31, 1995, an increase of $13.5  million
or  107%. This increase  resulted substantially from  increases in revenues from
dispatch offices open for  the full period. Average  store sales, however,  were
slightly  lower in the first  quarter of 1996 than in  the first quarter of 1995
because of the impact of weather on the concentration of dispatch offices in the
midwest and upper midwest regions.
 
    COST OF SERVICES.  Cost of services increased to $22.2 million for the three
months ended March 31, 1996 compared to $10.5 million for the three months ended
March 31,  1995,  an  increase  of  $11.7  million  or  111.4%,  reflecting  the
additional   wages  and  salaries  paid  to  temporary  workers  and  additional
management personnel and related payroll expenses. As a percentage of  revenues,
cost  of services increased to  85.1% for the three  months ended March 31, 1996
from 83.2% for the three months ended March 31, 1995, an increase of 1.8%.  Cost
of   services  increased  due  to  several  factors,  including  higher  workers
compensation costs,  increased salary  costs for  branch managers  in  training,
longer  training  periods  for  new  management  personnel  and  for  additional
supervisory  personnel  hired   to  implement   new  management   organizational
structures.  The Company expects significant  continuing fluctuations in cost of
services as the Company pursues further aggressive growth.
 
    SELLING,  GENERAL  AND  ADMINISTRATIVE  EXPENSES.    Selling,  general   and
administrative  expenses increased  to $4.5 million  for the  three months ended
March 31, 1996 compared to $2.5 million for the year earlier period, an increase
of $2.0 million or  80.0%. As a percentage  of revenues from services,  selling,
general, and
 
                                       15

administrative  expenses decreased to 17.2% for the three months ended March 31,
1996 from 19.8% for the three months  ended March 31, 1995, a decrease of  2.6%.
This  decrease is  primarily the result  of selling,  general and administrative
expenses increasing  at  a  slower  rate than  the  increase  in  revenues  from
services.
 
    INTEREST  AND  OTHER EXPENSES.   Interest  and  other expenses  increased to
approximately $435,000 for  the three months  ended March 31,  1996 compared  to
approximately  $164,000  for the  three month  period ended  March 31,  1995, an
increase  of  approximately  $271,000  or  165%,  reflecting  primarily   higher
borrowing  amounts,  the relatively  higher interest  costs  of the  $10 million
principal amount  of  subordinated  debt  issued in  October  1995  and  certain
prepayment  penalties incurred  in paying off  the Company's prior  lender. As a
percentage of revenues, interest  and other expenses increased  to 1.7% for  the
three months ended March 31, 1996 from 1.3% for the three months ended March 31,
1995.
 
    TAXES  ON  INCOME.   The Company  recorded a  tax benefit  from its  loss on
operations of approximately $364,000 for the three months ended March 31,  1996,
compared  to a tax benefit of approximately  $182,000 for the three months ended
March 31, 1995.
 
    NET LOSS.  The Company incurred a net loss from operations of  approximately
$685,000  for the three months ended March 31, 1996 compared to $353,776 for the
three months ended  March 31,  1995, an  increase of  approximately $332,000  or
93.7%. As a percentage of revenues, the net loss remained relatively constant.
 
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1995, 1994, AND 1993
 
    DISPATCH  OFFICES.  The number  of dispatch offices grew  to 106 at December
31, 1995 from 51 locations at December 31, 1994, a net increase (after  closings
and  consolidations) of 55 dispatch offices, or 108%. The Company estimates that
its aggregate costs of opening 57 new dispatch offices in 1995 was $2.0  million
(an  average of approximately $35,000 per dispatch office) compared to aggregate
costs of  approximately  $850,000  (an  average  of  approximately  $25,000  per
dispatch  office) to open  34 new dispatch offices  in 1994. Management believes
that the costs of  opening new dispatch offices  will continue to increase.  The
increases in 1995 were primarily the result of a longer manager training period,
establishment  of Labor Ready University, and the added opening costs related to
the use of more sophisticated computer and other office systems. Dispatch office
locations grew  to  51 locations  at  December 31,  1994  from 17  locations  at
December  31, 1993, a net increase of  34 dispatch offices, or 200%. The Company
estimates that its aggregate  costs of opening 34  new dispatch offices in  1994
was $850,000 compared to $160,000 (an average of $20,000 per dispatch office) to
open eight new dispatch offices in 1993. The increases were primarily the result
of expanded manager training and the installation of more sophisticated computer
and other office systems at the dispatch offices.
 
    REVENUES  FROM SERVICES.  The Company's  revenues from services increased to
$94.4 million  for  1995 from  $39.0  million for  1994,  an increase  of  $55.4
million,  or  142%.  This  increase  in  revenues  from  services  resulted from
essentially equal increases in revenues from dispatch offices open for the  full
period and revenues generated from dispatch offices opened during the period, as
indicated below. The Company's revenues from services increased to $39.0 million
for  1994 from $15.7 million for 1993, an increase of $23.3 million, or 148%. As
in 1995, this  increase resulted  from essentially equal  increases in  revenues
from  dispatch offices open for the full period and from revenues generated from
dispatch offices opened during the period, as indicated below.
 


                                                                                      1993       1994       1995
                                                                                    ---------  ---------  ---------
                                                                                            (IN THOUSANDS)
                                                                                                 
Increase in revenues from dispatch offices open for full year.....................  $   4,536  $  11,652  $  27,101
Revenues from new dispatch offices opened during year.............................  $   2,699     11,640     28,310
                                                                                    ---------  ---------  ---------
Total increase over prior year....................................................  $   7,235  $  23,292  $  55,411
                                                                                    ---------  ---------  ---------
                                                                                    ---------  ---------  ---------

 
    COST OF SERVICES.  Cost of services increased to $76.6 million for 1995 from
$30.7 million for 1994,  an increase of $45.9  million, or 150%, reflecting  the
additional   wages  and  salaries  paid  to  temporary  workers  and  additional
management personnel  and  related  payroll  expenses. Cost  of  services  as  a
percentage of
 
                                       16

revenues  from services  increased to  81.2% for  1995 from  78.9% for  1994, an
increase of 2.3%. This  increase in costs as  a percentage of revenues  reflects
salaries  of new supervisory personnel hired under new management organizational
structures, the hiring of  large numbers of general  managers prior to  dispatch
office openings, the use of lower introductory rates to attract new customers at
new  dispatch  offices,  and  the relatively  lower  revenues  generated  by new
dispatch offices prior to reaching  maturity. The Company expects to  experience
significant  fluctuations in  such percentage in  future periods  as the Company
continues its  rapid  addition  of  new  dispatch  offices.  Costs  of  services
increased  to $30.7 million for 1994 from $12.4 million for 1993, an increase of
$18.3 million,  or 148%.  Costs of  services as  a percentage  of revenues  from
services  were essentially unchanged from 1993  to 1994, decreasing to 78.9% for
1994 from 79.2% for 1993.
 
    SELLING, GENERAL,  AND  ADMINISTRATIVE  EXPENSES.    Selling,  general,  and
administrative  expenses increased to $13.6 million in 1995 from $6.6 million in
1994, an  increase  of $7.0  million,  or 106%.  As  a percentage  of  revenues,
selling,  general, and administrative expenses decreased  to 14.5% for 1995 from
16.9% for  1994.  This  percentage decrease  resulted  primarily  from  selling,
general  and  administrative  expenses  increasing at  a  slower  rate  than the
increase in revenues. Selling, general, and administrative expenses increased to
$6.6 million in 1994 from $2.7 million in 1993, an increase of $3.9 million,  or
144%. As a percentage of revenues, selling, general, and administrative expenses
were  16.9%  in both  1994  and 1993.  The  increases in  selling,  general, and
administrative  expenses  are  primarily  the  result  of  increased   overhead,
including  management information systems,  workers compensation administration,
administrative personnel  and  other  expenses  related to  the  growth  of  the
Company.
 
    INTEREST  AND  OTHER EXPENSES.   Interest  and  other expenses  increased to
approximately $866,000 in 1995 from approximately $457,000 in 1994, an  increase
of  89.5%,  reflecting primarily  higher  borrowing amounts  and  the additional
interest costs of the $10 million  principal amount of subordinated debt  issued
in  October 1995. As  a percentage of revenues,  interest expense decreased from
1.2% to  0.9%,  reflecting the  increased  revenues  of the  Company.  In  1994,
interest  expense  increased to  approximately $457,000  from $353,000  in 1993,
reflecting primarily  higher  borrowed amounts.  As  a percentage  of  revenues,
interest expense decreased from 2.3% to 1.2%, reflecting the Company's increased
revenues.  The  increase  in borrowings  is  mainly  the result  of  the Company
financing its accounts receivable  which increased from  $1,907,000 in 1993,  to
$5,163,000  in 1994 and to $12,183,000 in 1995, corresponding to the significant
increase in  revenues each  year. The  average effective  interest rate  on  the
Company's  borrowings  was  16.5%, 15.3%  and  29.0%  for 1995,  1994  and 1993,
respectively. In March 1996, the Company activated its new $10 million revolving
line of credit with U.S. Bank of Washington which bears interest at a rate equal
to prime plus  1/4% (currently 8.5%)  and replaces the  Company's former  credit
line with Concord Growth Corporation.
 
    TAXES ON INCOME.  The Company's taxes on income increased to $1.2 million in
1995 from approximately $336,000 in 1994, an increase of approximately $816,000,
or  243%. This increase was  the direct result of  the corresponding increase in
the Company's  income  before taxes  for  such period.  The  Company had  a  net
deferred  tax asset  of approximately $715,000  at December  31, 1995, resulting
primarily from workers' compensation deposits,  credits and reserves which  will
reverse  in 1996. The Company has  not established a valuation allowance against
this net deferred tax asset as management  believes that it is more likely  than
not that the tax benefits will be realized in the future based on the historical
levels  of pre-tax  income and  expected future taxable  income. See  Note 10 to
Consolidated Financial Statements.  The Company's taxes  on income increased  to
$336,000   in  1994  from   approximately  $32,000  in   1993,  an  increase  of
approximately $304,000, or 950%. This increase was the result of an increase  in
the  Company's income before taxes for  such period and higher overall effective
tax rates as the Company expanded into more states with state income taxes.
 
    NET INCOME.   The increase  in revenues from  services also  resulted in  an
increase  in net income to $2.1 million for 1995 from approximately $852,000 for
1994. This represents an increase of $1.2 million, or 142%. The increase in  net
income  corresponds to the growth in revenues. In 1994, the increase in revenues
from services  also resulted  in  an increase  in  net income  to  approximately
$852,000  from  approximately $269,000  for 1993,  an increase  of approximately
$583,000, or 216%. The increase in net income in 1994 is primarily the result of
increased revenues and lower interest costs.
 
                                       17

QUARTERLY OPERATING RESULTS
 
    The following tables  set forth  certain consolidated  statements of  income
data  (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) for each of the Company's
last nine  quarters. The  quarterly information  is unaudited  but includes  all
adjustments,  consisting only  of normal recurring  adjustments, that management
considers  necessary  to  present  fairly  this  information.  The  results   of
operations  for any quarter, and  quarter-to-quarter trends, are not necessarily
indicative of the results to be expected for any future period.
 


                                                                 MARCH 31,    JUNE 30,    SEPTEMBER 30,  DECEMBER 31,
                                                                   1994         1994          1994           1994
                                                                -----------  -----------  -------------  ------------
                                                                                             
Revenues from services........................................   $   5,217    $   8,318     $  12,100     $   13,316
Net income (loss).............................................        (135)         327           422            237
Dispatch offices open at period end...........................          27           34            44             51
Earnings (loss) per common share..............................   $   (0.04)   $    0.09     $    0.10     $     0.04

 


                                                                MARCH 31,   JUNE 30,   SEPTEMBER 30,  DECEMBER 31,
                                                                  1995        1995         1995           1995
                                                               -----------  ---------  -------------  ------------
                                                                                          
Revenues from services.......................................   $  12,618   $  19,750    $  30,873     $   31,121
Net income (loss)............................................        (354)        391        1,471            554
Dispatch offices open at period end..........................          68          96          104            106
Earnings (loss) per common share.............................   $   (0.07)  $    0.07    $    0.24     $     0.09

 
                                                                 MARCH 31,
                                                                   1996
                                                                -----------
Revenues from services........................................   $  26,094
Net income (loss).............................................        (685)
Dispatch offices open at period end...........................         127
Earnings (loss) per common share..............................   $   (0.12)
 
    The following table indicates, for each  of the quarters presented, cost  of
services and net income as a percentage of revenues from services.
 


                                                                MARCH 31,     JUNE 30,     SEPTEMBER 30,    DECEMBER 31,
                                                                   1994         1994           1994             1994
                                                               ------------  -----------  ---------------  --------------
                                                                                               
Revenues from services.......................................       100.0%       100.0%         100.0%          100.0%
Cost of services.............................................        80.6         80.3           77.8            78.2
Net income (loss)............................................        (2.6)         3.9            3.5             1.8

 


                                                                MARCH 31,     JUNE 30,     SEPTEMBER 30,    DECEMBER 31,
                                                                   1995         1995           1995             1995
                                                               ------------  -----------  ---------------  --------------
                                                                                               
Revenues from services.......................................       100.0%       100.0%         100.0%          100.0%
Cost of services.............................................        83.2         80.4           80.0            82.2
Net income (loss)............................................        (2.8)         2.0            4.8             1.8

 
                                                                MARCH 31,
                                                                   1996
                                                               ------------
Revenues from services.......................................       100.0%
Cost of services.............................................        85.1
Net income (loss)............................................        (2.6)
 
    The  Company's  quarter-to-quarter operating  results  have been  subject to
significant variability based on a number of factors, including seasonality, but
primarily due to the number of new dispatch offices opened during the period and
preceding periods.  As  newly  opened dispatch  offices  mature,  revenues  have
historically increased significantly, although expenses of opening and operating
new dispatch offices continues to increase as the number of new dispatch offices
increases.
 
                                       18

    SEASONAL  AND  CYCLICAL  CUSTOMER  DEMAND; ECONOMIC  CYCLES.    Many  of the
Company's  customers  are  construction  and  landscaping  businesses  that  are
significantly  affected by the weather.  Construction and landscaping businesses
and, to a lesser degree,  other customer businesses typically increase  activity
in  spring, summer and early fall months  and decrease activity in late fall and
winter  months.  Inclement  weather   can  slow  construction  and   landscaping
activities  during  such  periods.  The  Company  has  generally  experienced  a
significant increase in temporary labor demand  in the spring, summer and  early
fall months, and lower demand in the late fall and winter months.
 
    Demand  for  the Company's  services may  be  significantly affected  by the
general level of  economic activity and  unemployment in the  United States.  As
economic  activity increases, such  as in recent  years, temporary employees are
often added to the  work force before regular  employees are hired. As  economic
activity  slows, many companies  reduce their use  of temporary employees before
laying off regular employees. In addition, the Company may experience heightened
levels of competitive pricing pressure during such periods of economic downturn.
World-wide economic conditions and  U.S. trade policies  also impact demand  for
the Company's services.
 
    Depending   upon  location,  new  dispatch   offices  initially  target  the
construction industry for potential customers.  As dispatch offices mature,  the
customer  base broadens and the mix of  work diversifies. A slow-down in general
economic activity within the construction industry, however, could lengthen  the
time  period for new  dispatch offices to generate  sufficient revenues to cover
operating costs and thereby increase the  cash necessary to fund the  operations
of new dispatch offices until they begin to generate sufficient revenue to cover
their operating costs.
 
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
 
    During  the first quarter of 1996,  the Company utilized significant amounts
of cash to open 21 dispatch offices  during the first quarter and in advance  of
opening  19 dispatch offices in April 1996. During the first quarter of 1995 and
1996, the  Company  used  net  cash in  operating  activities  of  approximately
$461,000  and  $2.1  million,  respectively,  an  increase  of  356%, reflecting
primarily increases in workers compensation deposits and a reduction in accounts
payable. Management anticipates ongoing that  cash flow deficits from  operating
and  investing  activities  will  continue while  the  Company  adds substantial
numbers of new dispatch  offices. Management expects to  finance such cash  flow
deficits  with  the  proceeds  from  this  offering  and  other  equity  or debt
financings.
 
    During 1995 and 1994, the Company  used net cash in operating activities  of
$3.7  million and $2.3 million, an increase of 64.8%, reflecting the significant
growth in the  Company's revenues  and accounts  receivable, increased  workers'
compensation deposits, and the opening of 57 new dispatch offices in 1995 and 34
new  dispatch offices in 1994. The Company incurred capital expenditures of $2.5
million and approximately $550,000 in 1995 and 1994 in connection with  openings
of  dispatch  offices  and  improvements to  the  corporate  offices. Management
anticipates continuing cash flow  deficits from operations  while the number  of
dispatch offices continues to grow at a rapid rate. Management expects such cash
flow deficits will be financed by the proceeds of this offering and other equity
and debt financings.
 
    The Company financed its operations and growth in 1995 primarily through the
sale  of debt and equity securities. In early 1995, warrants to purchase 712,440
shares of the Company's Common Stock were exercised for aggregate  consideration
of approximately $1.8 million.
 
    In  October 1995, the Company completed a private financing of $10.0 million
principal amount of  13.0% Senior  Subordinated Notes (the  "Notes"). Under  the
terms  of the Notes, which require principal payments to begin in 1998 and which
mature in  2002, the  Company pledged  its remaining  assets as  collateral  and
issued  warrants (the "Financing Warrants") to  the purchasers of the Notes. The
Financing Warrants entitle  the holders  thereof to purchase  682,368 shares  of
Common  Stock of the Company  at an exercise price of  $11.67 per share, and are
exercisable at any time prior to their expiration on the earlier of the  seventh
anniversary of the Notes and six years from the date the Notes are paid in full.
If  the Notes are retired  by the Company prior to  November 1998 and before the
Financing Warrants are exercised, the number of shares subject to purchase under
the Financing Warrants is reduced to 545,894 shares.
 
                                       19

    In March 1996,  the Company obtained  a new revolving  credit facility  from
U.S.  Bank of Washington  which provides for  borrowings of up  to $10.0 million
secured by eligible accounts receivable. As  of March 31, 1996, the Company  had
borrowed $4.4 million against this line. The U.S. Bank revolving credit facility
bears interest at a rate of prime plus 1/4% (currently 8.5%).
 
    In  1995, the Company incurred costs of $2.0 million to open 57 new dispatch
offices (an average of approximately $35,000 per dispatch office). Further,  the
Company  invested significant amounts of additional  cash into the operations of
new dispatch offices until  they begin to generate  sufficient revenue to  cover
their operating costs, generally in two to six months. Further, the Company pays
its  temporary personnel on a  daily basis, and bills  its customers on a weekly
basis. The average collection  cycle for 1995 was  approximately 37 days.  Since
the  Company plans to open  54 dispatch offices in the  remainder of 1996, for a
total of 94 in 1996,  and 100 dispatch offices in  1997, the Company expects  to
experience  cash flow deficits from operations  and investing activities in 1996
and 1997. The  Company intends  to finance opening  and operating  costs of  new
dispatch  offices with the proceeds from this  offering and other equity or debt
financings. With such  funds, and  depending on  its results  of operations  and
other  factors  described  herein, the  Company  expects to  have  the financial
resources necessary to open at least  154 dispatch offices through 1997. To  the
extent  that the Company's resources are  not sufficient to finance new dispatch
offices, or are not sufficient to open all currently targeted dispatch  offices,
the  Company  would  either  seek  additional  capital  through  equity  or debt
financings or scale back  its expansion plans. See  "Risk Factors -- Ability  to
Achieve and Manage Growth," and "-- Liquidity and Capital Resources."
 
INFLATION
 
    The  effects of inflation  on the Company's  operations were not significant
during the periods presented herein. Generally, throughout the periods discussed
above, the increases in revenues  have resulted primarily from increasing  sales
at  existing dispatch  offices and adding  new dispatch  office locations rather
than price increases. In  the event, however,  that Congress passes  legislation
currently  being considered  to increase the  federal minimum  wage, the Company
would attempt to increase the rates it charges customers.
 
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
 
    In October 1995, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"), issued a
Statement of Financial  Accounting Standards ("SFAS")  No. 123, "Accounting  for
Stock-Based  Compensation," which  requires that  companies measure  the cost of
stock-based employee compensation at  the grant date based  on the value of  the
award  and recognize this cost  over the service period.  The value of the stock
based award is determined using  the intrinsic method whereby compensation  cost
is  the excess of the quoted  market price of the stock  at the date of grant or
other measurement  date over  the amount  an employee  must pay  to acquire  the
stock.  SFAS No.  123 is  effective for  financial statements  issued for fiscal
years beginning  after  December  15,  1995,  and is  not  expected  to  have  a
significant impact on the Company's financial statements.
 
    In  March 1995, the FASB issued SFAS No. 121, "Accounting for the Impairment
of Long-Lived  Assets  and  for  Long-Lived Assets  to  be  Disposed  Of."  This
statement requires that long-lived assets and certain intangibles to be held and
used  by an  entity be  reviewed for  impairment whenever  events or  changes in
circumstances  indicate  that  the  carrying  value  of  an  asset  may  not  be
recoverable.  The measurement  of an impairment  loss for  long-lived assets and
identifiable intangibles that an entity expects to hold and use should be  based
on  the  fair  value of  the  asset. SFAS  No.  121 is  effective  for financial
statements for  fiscal years  beginning  after December  15,  1995, and  is  not
expected to have a significant impact on the Company's financial statements.
 
                                       20

                                    BUSINESS
 
INTRODUCTION
 
    Labor  Ready is a leading, national provider of temporary workers for manual
labor  jobs.  The   Company's  customers   are  primarily   businesses  in   the
construction,  freight handling, warehousing,  landscaping, light manufacturing,
and other  light  industrial  markets.  These  businesses  require  workers  for
lifting,  hauling, cleaning,  assembling, digging,  painting and  other types of
manual work. The Company has rapidly  grown from eight dispatch offices in  1991
to  146 dispatch  offices at  May 1,  1996. Substantially  all of  the growth in
dispatch offices was  achieved by  opening Company-owned  locations rather  than
through  acquisitions. The  Company's revenues grew  from $6.0  million to $94.4
million from 1991 through 1995. This  revenue growth has been generated both  by
opening  new dispatch  offices and by  continuing to increase  sales at existing
dispatch offices. In 1995, the  average cost to open  a new dispatch office  was
approximately  $35,000 and dispatch  offices opened in  1995 typically generated
revenues sufficient to  cover their  operating costs in  two to  six months.  In
1995,  the average revenue per dispatch office  open for more than one full year
was $1.3 million.
 
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
 
    The temporary  staffing  industry  has  grown rapidly  in  recent  years  as
companies  have used temporary employees to  control personnel costs and to meet
fluctuating personnel needs. According  to the NATSS,  the United States  market
for the industrial segment of the temporary staffing marketplace (which includes
the  light industrial market that the Company  serves) grew at a compound annual
growth rate of  approximately 25%  from approximately  $5.0 billion  in 1991  to
approximately $12.3 billion in 1995. The Company believes the temporary staffing
industry  is  highly  fragmented  and presents  opportunities  for  larger, well
capitalized companies  to effectively  compete  through management  of  workers'
compensation  costs  and development  of  information systems  which efficiently
process a high volume of transactions and coordinate multi-location activities.
 
    Historically, the demand for temporary workers has been driven primarily  by
a  need to  satisfy peak production  needs and to  temporarily replace full-time
employees due  to  illness,  vacation  or  abrupt  termination.  More  recently,
competitive  pressures  have  forced  businesses  to  focus  on  reducing costs,
including converting fixed, permanent labor costs to variable or flexible costs.
The use of temporary workers typically  shifts employment costs and risks,  such
as workers' compensation and unemployment insurance and possible adverse effects
of  changing employment regulations, to  temporary staffing companies, which can
allocate the costs and risks over a  larger pool of employees and customers.  In
addition,  the use of temporary employees  avoids the inconvenience, expense and
other effects of hiring and firing regular employees.
 
COMPANY STRATEGY
 
    The Company's  goal is  to maintain  and enhance  its status  as a  leading,
national  provider of temporary  workers for manual labor  jobs. Key elements of
the Company's strategy to achieve this objective are as follows:
 
    - AGGRESSIVELY OPEN  NEW  DISPATCH OFFICES.  The  Company's strategy  is  to
      increase  revenues by rapidly  expanding its network  of dispatch offices.
      The Company plans  to open  approximately 54  additional dispatch  offices
      prior to the end of 1996, for a total of 94 in 1996, and an additional 100
      dispatch offices in 1997.
 
    - INCREASE  REVENUES FROM  EXISTING DISPATCH  OFFICES. As  a dispatch office
      matures, the Company attempts to increase its revenues by expanding  sales
      to  existing customers and by aggressively expanding the number and mix of
      customers served. More  experienced area directors  and district  managers
      assist the general manager in this process. The Company is also developing
      and  implementing at the  corporate level coordinated  sales and marketing
      strategies designed to complement these efforts, including the development
      of national accounts, electronic order entry from the customer's location,
      centralized dispatch via  an 800 number,  dissemination of information  on
      local  construction activity, and implementation of a centralized customer
      service hotline.
 
                                       21

    - IMPROVE OPERATING  EFFICIENCIES AND  REDUCE OPERATING  COSTS. Due  to  the
      temporary labor market's extensive fragmentation, the Company believes its
      national presence provides it with key operating efficiencies, competitive
      advantages  (including  an  ability  to target  national  accounts  and to
      effectively administer  workers'  compensation  programs)  and  access  to
      capital  markets  to  provide  needed  working  capital.  The  Company has
      standardized the operation, general design, staffing and equipment of  the
      dispatch  offices. In addition, the Company has designed and implemented a
      proprietary management  information  system that  efficiently  manages  an
      extensive Company-wide employee and payroll database as well as delivering
      valuable management reports.
 
    - PROVIDE  SUPERIOR SERVICE. The  Company emphasizes customer responsiveness
      and maintains  a commitment  to providing  a superior  quality of  service
      though policies such as opening offices no later than 5:30 a.m., providing
      workers  on short notice (often the same  day as requested) and offering a
      "satisfaction guaranteed" policy.  The Company is  committed to  supplying
      motivated  workers to its customers. Most workers find the Company's "Work
      Today, Paid  Today" policy  appealing and  arrive at  the dispatch  office
      early  in the morning motivated to put in  a good day's work and receive a
      paycheck at the end of the day.
 
    The Company intends to continue to focus on the manual labor, short  notice,
light industrial niche of the temporary labor market. The Company believes other
national  and  international temporary  labor  businesses have  not aggressively
pursued this market. Management believes that it can gain significant advantages
by  capturing  market  share,  achieving   economies  of  scale  and   operating
efficiencies  not available  to its  smaller competitors,  and rapidly expanding
through opening new dispatch offices and increasing revenue at existing dispatch
offices.
 
DISPATCH OFFICE EXPANSION
 
    The Company has  rapidly grown from  eight dispatch offices  in 1991 to  146
dispatch  offices  at May  1, 1996.  The Company's  expansion has  been achieved
primarily by opening Company-owned dispatch offices. Of the 146 dispatch offices
open at May 1, 1996,  140 dispatch offices have been  owned and operated by  the
Company  from inception. The following table  sets forth the number and location
of dispatch offices by  geographic region open  at the end of  each of the  last
five years and at May 1, 1996. The information below does not include four Labor
Ready   franchised  dispatch  offices  located  in  the  Minneapolis,  Minnesota
metropolitan area and  one franchised  dispatch office located  in Fargo,  North
Dakota.
 
                          LABOR READY DISPATCH OFFICES
                              BY GEOGRAPHIC REGION
 


                            AT DECEMBER 31,         AT MAY 1,
                      ----------------------------  ---------
                      1991  1992  1993  1994  1995    1996
                      ----  ----  ----  ----  ----  ---------
                                  
West................    8     9    12    23    38         42
Southwest/Mountain...   0     0     2     8    15         20
Upper Midwest.......    0     0     0     8    16         29
Midwest.............    0     1     3     7    20         25
South...............    0     0     0     1    12         24
Eastern.............    0     0     0     0     1          2
Canada..............    0     0     0     4     4          4
                        -
                            ----  ----  ----  ----       ---
    Total...........    8    10    17    51   106        146
                        -
                        -
                            ----  ----  ----  ----       ---
                            ----  ----  ----  ----       ---

 
    The  Company currently  anticipates opening  54 dispatch  offices during the
remainder of 1996 for a total of 94 new dispatch offices in 1996, and expects to
open approximately 100 dispatch offices  in 1997. Dispatch office openings  will
be  primarily in California, midwestern states, southern states, and, over time,
eastern states.  The Company  analyzes acquisition  opportunities from  time  to
time,  may pursue acquisitions in certain  circumstances and may also accelerate
expansion based on future developments.
 
                                       22

    In 1994, the Company licensed one franchisee in Minnesota, who now  operates
five  locations, four in Minneapolis and one in Fargo, North Dakota. The Company
has not  pursued, and  does  not intend  to  grant, any  additional  franchises.
Revenues  generated  from franchised  dispatch  offices have  not  been material
during the periods presented herein.
 
    ECONOMICS OF DISPATCH OFFICES.  The Company has standardized the process  of
opening  dispatch offices. In 1995, the average  aggregate cost of opening a new
dispatch office was approximately  $35,000, including salaries, training,  lease
expenses,  computer systems, advertising and other related expenses. These costs
are expected to increase  as the Company  purchases more sophisticated  computer
and  other office  systems, expands  training time  and programs,  leases larger
dispatch offices and expands into  the northeastern United States. New  dispatch
offices  are expected  to generate revenue  sufficient to  cover their operating
costs within two to six months. On average, the volume necessary for  profitable
operations is approximately $12,000 per week. In 1995, dispatch offices open for
at  least one full  year generated average annual  revenue of approximately $1.3
million, or approximately $25,000 per dispatch office per week.
 
    CRITERIA FOR NEW DISPATCH OFFICES.   Labor Ready identifies desirable  areas
for  locating  new dispatch  offices with  an economic  model that  analyzes the
potential supply of temporary  workers and customer demand  based on a zip  code
resolution  of employment figures and the relative distance to the nearest Labor
Ready dispatch  office. In  addition, the  Company locates  dispatch offices  in
areas  convenient  for  its  temporary  workers,  that  are  on  or  near public
transportation, and have  parking available.  The Company  will generally  avoid
downtown  locations since  such areas are  usually inconvenient  for workers and
dispatch office  rental  space  is  often  more  expensive.  After  the  Company
establishes  a  dispatch  office in  a  metropolitan area,  the  Company usually
clusters additional  locations within  the same  area. Multiple  locations in  a
market  reduce both  opening costs and  operating risk for  new dispatch offices
because advertising costs are spread among more dispatch offices and because the
new dispatch office benefits from existing customer relationships with the other
dispatch offices and established Labor Ready name recognition.
 
    DISPATCH OFFICE  MANAGEMENT.   The  Company  believes that  the  key  factor
determining the success of a new dispatch office is identifying and retaining an
effective  dispatch  office general  manager. Each  general manager  has primary
responsibility for managing  the operations  of the  dispatch office,  including
recruiting   temporary  workers,  daily  dispatch  of  temporary  workders,  and
collecting accounts receivable. The Company pays monthly bonuses to its  general
managers based on accounts receivable collections during the month.
 
    Each general manager has primary responsibility for customer service and the
dispatch  office's  sales efforts,  including  identifying and  soliciting local
businesses likely to  have a need  for temporary manual  workers. The  Company's
experience is that certain types of individuals are better suited to perform the
critical  management functions necessary for the dispatch office to generate the
revenues required  to  achieve profitability,  regardless  of the  size  of  the
metropolitan  area. The Company  has refined its  criteria for selecting general
managers  and  uses  The  Gallup  Organization  to  screen,  test,  and  qualify
prospective  general managers. Prior to joining the Company, the typical general
manager has little or no prior experience in the temporary employment  industry.
The  Company  commits substantial  resources to  the training,  development, and
operational  support  of  its  general  managers.  In  1995,  due  to  turnover,
attrition, or termination, the Company replaced approximately 26% of its general
managers.
 
OPERATIONS
 
    DISPATCH  OFFICES.    Dispatch  offices  are  locations  where  workers (and
prospective workers) report  prior to  being assigned to  jobs, including  those
being  called back to the  same employer. Workers are  required to report to the
dispatch office in order to minimize "no-shows" to the customer's job site. If a
worker fails  to  report  to  the dispatch  office  as  scheduled,  the  Company
identifies a replacement so that the customer has the number of workers expected
at the jobsite, on time, and ready to work.
 
    During  the  early  morning  hours, the  general  manager  and  an assistant
coordinate incoming customer work  orders, assign the  available workers to  the
job  openings for the day, and arrange  transportation to the job site. Prior to
dispatch, a branch employee  checks to make sure  workers have the basic  safety
equipment required for the job, such as boots, back braces, hard hats, or safety
goggles, all of which are provided at no
 
                                       23

charge  to the worker  or the customer. The  customer provides additional safety
and other equipment, if  required. New assignments are  generally filled from  a
first  come,  first  served daily  sign-in  sheet, except  for  return requests.
Workers who pass on a particular job are  moved to the bottom of the list.  Most
work  assignments have been scheduled in advance, a majority of which are repeat
work orders from customers. However, a  significant portion of the job  openings
are requested on short notice, often the same day as requested.
 
    The  workers  are provided  with  a work  order  (which is  endorsed  by the
customer to  confirm work  performance) that  each worker  must present  at  the
dispatch  office in order to  receive payment for the  hours worked. Workers are
generally paid daily by check. Computer systems at each dispatch office  perform
the  calculations necessary  to determine the  wages, less  taxes and applicable
withholdings, and print  security controlled  checks, which  are distributed  to
each worker.
 
    Dispatch  offices generally open early, usually by 5:30 a.m., with some open
24 hours (depending on volume or activity), and generally remain open until  the
last  temporary laborer is paid. Dispatch  offices are generally staffed with at
least two  full-time employees,  including the  general manager  and a  customer
service  representative. General managers manage the daily dispatch of temporary
workers, and are responsible for monitoring and collecting receivables, managing
the credit application process for each customer, inspecting customer job  sites
for  site safety, as necessary, and managing  the sales and marketing efforts of
the dispatch office.
 
    Employment applications  are  taken throughout  the  day for  potential  new
temporary  employees. Applications  are used to  facilitate workers compensation
safeguards and quality  control systems by  permitting the Company  to test  for
alcohol  or drugs in case of work-related  illness or injury, to obtain a signed
"Condition of Employment" statement, and  to comply with applicable  immigration
requirements.
 
    CUSTOMERS.    The Company's  customers  are primarily  businesses  and, less
frequently, government  agencies, that  require  workers for  lifting,  hauling,
cleaning,  assembling, digging,  painting and  other types  of manual  work. The
Company's customers are typically engaged in construction, landscaping,  freight
handling,  warehousing,  or other  light  manufacturing. Customers  also include
retail and wholesale operations, sanitation, machine shops, printers, hotels and
restaurants.
 
    New  dispatch  offices  initially  target  the  construction  industry   for
potential  customers, except for those new  dispatch offices that are located in
metropolitan areas  where there  is  little new  construction. In  addition,  as
dispatch  offices  mature,  the  customer  base broadens  and  the  mix  of work
diversifies. Many of the businesses have elements of seasonality or  cyclicality
in  their  work flow  and  have a  need  for one  or  more workers.  The Company
currently derives its  business from  a large number  of customers,  and is  not
dependent  on any large customer for more  than 2% of its revenues. During 1995,
the Company's ten largest customers accounted for $6.4 million, or 6.8% of total
sales. While a single dispatch office may derive a substantial percentage of its
revenues from a  single customer, the  loss of  that customer would  not have  a
significant  impact on the Company's revenues. During 1995, the Company provided
temporary workers to in excess of 29,000 customers. Labor Ready filled more than
800,000 work orders in 1995.
 
    Many customers  use Labor  Ready as  a screening  device for  future  hires.
Because  Labor Ready does not charge a fee if a customer hires a Company worker,
customers on occasion send prospective employees to the Company with a  specific
request  for temporary assignment to their  business. Customers thereby have the
opportunity to observe the prospective employee in an actual working  situation,
and minimize expenses involved in employee turnover and personnel agency fees.
 
    BILLING  AND COLLECTIONS.  The Company has implemented a credit policy which
allows new customers to establish an account with a $2,500 initial credit limit.
Workers may be dispatched to a new customer's job site when a credit application
is completed and signed. Thereafter, the Company obtains credit reports and bank
references to  evaluate  whether  additional credit  is  justified.  The  credit
department  processes applications within 24  hours and if information indicates
credit risk,  the account  will be  placed on  a "hold"  status and  no  further
business  can be  conducted until  the credit risk  is resolved.  This policy is
designed to limit the Company's exposure to  $2,500 for a new account. When  the
credit risk is resolved, the account will be
 
                                       24

granted  a  credit line  up to  $5,000.  If the  account requires  higher credit
limits, the credit department  will expand its  credit investigation to  justify
such  increase by completing trade reference verification, analysis of financial
statements and tax returns. Once a customer has reached 75% of its credit limit,
the customer screen  on the Company's  information system has  a red warning  to
alert  dispatch office  personnel to  more closely  monitor the  activity of the
customer.
 
    SALES AND MARKETING.  Generally, each dispatch office is responsible for its
own sales and marketing  efforts. The general  manager is primarily  responsible
for  customer service and sales, but most  branch employees are also involved in
customer sales and marketing. Each dispatch office maintains databases for  area
businesses  for telemarketing and direct mail. The Company expects each dispatch
office to mail 300 to 500 pieces of direct mail a week with follow-up to be made
by the general  manager or  the customer service  representative. The  corporate
office  will  conduct  an initial  mailing  of  5,000 to  10,000  pieces  to the
geographic area to support the new dispatch office opening.
 
    At the  corporate level,  the Company  is developing  coordinated  marketing
strategies, including the development of national accounts with electronic order
entry  from the  customer's location,  centralized dispatch  via an  800 number,
dissemination  of  information  on  local  construction  activity,   advertising
campaigns  in  targeted  markets  prior to  new  dispatch  office  openings, and
implementation of a centralized customer  service hotline which promotes  prompt
and  professional resolution to customer issues as they arise. In late 1995, the
Company hired a national sales manager to develop business with large  employers
on  a national and regional basis.  The Company also employs several salespeople
who facilitate sales and  marketing activities to  specific dispatch offices  or
for specific industries.
 
    When  entering new  markets, the Company  allows for  an initial advertising
budget to  generate  an  awareness  of  the  new  dispatch  office.  By  opening
additional dispatch offices as warranted based on area demographics, the Company
can  expand and  coordinate its marketing  efforts and benefit  all the dispatch
offices in the local area. Marketing is accomplished primarily through  personal
contacts,  direct mail  campaigns, and yellow  pages advertising.  Word of mouth
also provides a  significant source  of new  business for  the Company.  General
managers  are  encouraged  to  work  with other  dispatch  offices  in  the same
metropolitan area.
 
    TEMPORARY WORKERS.  Most workers find the Company's "Work Today, Paid Today"
policy appealing  and  arrive  at  the dispatch  office  early  in  the  morning
motivated  to put in a good day's work and  receive a paycheck at the end of the
day. Labor Ready's temporary workers are typically persons who are unemployed or
in between jobs. Nearly all are male and most are between the ages of 18 and  40
and live in low income neighborhoods. Most temporary workers have phone numbers,
but  do  not  own cars.  The  average  temporary worker  works  for  Labor Ready
approximately 90 hours per year.
 
    The Company's  daily  pool of  temporary  workers at  each  dispatch  office
generally  numbers between 40 and 200, depending upon the time of year. Although
the Company is less dependent  on weather than in its  early years because of  a
wider dispersion of dispatch offices in different geographic areas of the United
States,  good weather,  nevertheless, brings  incrementally more  job orders and
workers.
 
    After reviewing work orders for the day, the general manager pre-screens the
qualifications of the  temporary workers  to assure  they can  perform the  work
required. Additionally, the individual must be at least 18 years old, physically
capable  and in apparent good health. The main objective is to dispatch the most
suitable workers for  the positions  available. Dispatch  office employees  over
time  come to know most  workers at the dispatch  office and their capabilities.
The Company is an equal opportunity employer.
 
    Under the Company's "satisfaction  guaranteed" policy, replacements for  all
unsatisfactory  workers  are  promptly  provided if  the  customer  notifies the
Company within the first two hours of work. Employees who receive two concurrent
complaints from customers are generally  terminated or reprimanded. The  Company
will immediately terminate any employee who agrees to take a work order and does
not  report at the customer's job site.  Any use of obscene language, alcohol or
drugs on  the dispatch  office  premises or  at the  job  site are  grounds  for
immediate  dismissal. In addition, an employee found to be engaging in dishonest
acts or filing a false workers' compensation claim will be terminated.
 
                                       25

    The Company is responsible for  withholding of FICA, Medicare, and  federal,
state,  and, where applicable, city and  county payroll taxes from its temporary
workers for  disbursement to  governmental agencies.  Additionally, the  Company
pays   federal  and   state  unemployment   insurance  premiums,   and  workers'
compensation  expenses   for  its   temporary   employees.  See   "--   Workers'
Compensation."
 
    RECRUITMENT  OF  TEMPORARY  WORKERS.    The  Company  attracts  its  pool of
temporary workers  through  flyers,  newspaper  advertisments,  dispatch  office
displays,  and  word of  mouth. The  Company believes  its strategy  of locating
dispatch offices  in lower  income neighborhoods,  with ready  access to  public
transportation, is particularly important in attracting workers.
 
    The  Company's "Work Today,  Paid Today" policy  is prominently displayed at
most dispatch offices and,  in the Company's experience,  is a highly  effective
method of attracting temporary workers. Workers also find other Company policies
attractive,  such  as the  emphasis on  worker  safety, Company  provided safety
equipment, and  modest advances  for lunch  or gas  for workers  short on  cash.
Temporary workers are also aware of the Company's no-fee policy toward temporary
workers  who receive regular  position offers from  the Company's customers. The
possibility of landing a  regular position serves as  an added incentive to  its
workers.  Finally, dispatch offices generally remain  open to ensure workers get
paid the same day.
 
    Management believes that Labor Ready has  earned a good reputation with  its
temporary  labor pool  because the Company  consistently has  jobs available and
treats these workers with  respect, which the Company  believes helps attract  a
motivated  and  responsive  worker  pool.  As  a  result,  the  Company believes
referrals by current or former employees who have had good experiences with  the
Company account for a significant percentage of its temporary workers.
 
    The  Company experiences from time to  time during peak periods shortages of
available temporary workers. Dispatch offices with a shortage of workers attempt
to fill work orders by asking temporary workers to inform friends, relatives and
neighbors of the job  openings and by identifying  prospective workers from  the
Company's  employee data base. On occasion,  work orders requiring large numbers
of temporary workers will be filled by general managers coordinating with  other
local dispatch offices.
 
    MANAGEMENT,  EMPLOYEES AND TRAINING.  The  Company currently employs a total
of 62 administrative and executive staff in the corporate office, and 431 people
as supervisors,  general managers,  customer service  representatives,  district
managers,  area directors and support staff. General managers report to district
managers who in turn report to area directors. The Company is hiring  additional
supervisory  management  personnel  with  experience  in  managing multilocation
operations.
 
    After extensive  interviews  and  tests, prospective  general  managers  and
customer  service representatives generally undergo four weeks of training at an
existing high-volume  dispatch office.  The employees  then attend  Labor  Ready
University,  the Company's training division, located  at the dispatch office in
Tacoma, Washington. Labor Ready University, formed  in 1995 with the mission  of
training  managers and customer service  representatives on the skills necessary
for  operating  a  dispatch  office,  is  staffed  by  an  experienced  training
professional.  The  Company has  developed a  curriculum, training  manuals, and
instruction modules for the six-day,  rigorous sessions, which include  sessions
on  topics  such as  marketing, direct  mail,  credit and  collections, workers'
compensation and safety. By operating the training center as part of an  ongoing
dispatch  office,  the  managers and  customer  service  representatives receive
training  under  actual  and  simulated  dispatch  conditions.  The  Company  is
currently  establishing ten certified field  training centers located in current
dispatch offices  where  all  prospective general  managers  will  attend  their
initial  four  weeks training.  Department  heads from  the  Company's corporate
offices teach  topics based  on their  area of  expertise. The  Company  usually
arranges  to have  an experienced  manager participate  in the  classes to share
experiences encountered in operating a dispatch office.
 
    MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS.   The Company  has internally developed  its
own  proprietary software system to process all required payroll information and
related payroll  tax  returns,  together with  other  information  important  to
managing  thousands  of workers  and staff  in  multiple locations.  The Company
completed the installation in all dispatch offices of the most recent version of
this software in  1995. Labor  Ready employs five  full-time professionals  that
continually upgrade the systems to add features and
 
                                       26

enhance  operations  and  reliability.  The  system  will  continue  to  require
additional hardware  and software  to accommodate  the Company's  operating  and
information needs while the Company conducts its rapid expansion program.
 
    The  system maintains all of the  Company's key databases, from the tracking
of work orders to payroll processing  to maintaining worker records. The  system
regularly  exchanges key database information between corporate headquarters and
dispatch offices,  including customer  credit information  and the  tracking  of
workers'  compensation  safety claims.  Dispatch offices  can  run a  variety of
reports on demand,  including receivables  aging. The Company  can also  conduct
keyword  searches in its employee database for certain types of work experience.
Regional and area  directors can  also call into  the system  and monitor  their
territories  from their laptops.  The Company believes  its proprietary software
system  provides  Labor  Ready  with  significant  competitive  advantages  over
competitors that utilize less sophisticated systems.
 
    The  Company's information  system also  provides the  Company with  its key
internal controls. All  work order tickets  are entered into  the system at  the
dispatch  office level.  No payroll  check can  be issued  at a  dispatch office
without a corresponding work ticket on the computer system. When a payroll check
is issued, the customer's  weekly bill and the  dispatch office receivables  are
automatically  updated.  Printed checks  have watermarks  and computer-generated
signatures that are extremely difficult to duplicate.
 
    WORKERS' COMPENSATION PROGRAM.  The Company maintains workers'  compensation
insurance,  as  required by  state laws.  The Company  operates in  three states
(Washington, Nevada and Ohio)  in which the state  provides and administers  the
insurance  and the Company is  required to pay premiums  based on its experience
ratings. Other states permit the Company to obtain insurance coverage through  a
private  fronting insurance carrier licensed to  do business in those states. In
1995, the Company deposited  $4.6 million with a  foreign off-shore company  for
the  payment  of  workers'  compensation claims  and  related  claims settlement
expenses on  claims originating  in  these states.  Through  March 31,  1996  an
additional  $1.5 million was deposited with the foreign offshore company. Claims
are administered by  a third  party administrator  retained by  the Company.  At
March  31, 1996, approximately $3.3 million  remained on deposit for the payment
of future claims  and claims  settlement expenses  which were  estimated by  the
Company at $1.3 million.
 
    The   Company  has  established  a  separate  department  at  its  corporate
headquarters to manage its insurers, third party administrators, and the medical
service providers. The Company attempts to resolve claims promptly and generally
closes claims within 120 days. To reduce the wage-loss compensation claims,  the
Company  has established  a "light  duty" return  to work  program that requires
minimal physical exertion within the  Company (dispatch office work) or  outside
assignments  (e.g.,  cafeteria  help) to  customers.  The  Company's information
system generates weekly workers' compensation loss minimization reports for both
corporate and branch location use.
 
GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS.
 
    SAFETY PROGRAMS.  As an employer, the Company is subject to applicable state
and/or federal statutes  and administrative regulations  pertaining to job  site
safety.  Where states  do not  have a  safety program  certified by  the federal
Occupational Safety & Health Administration ("OSHA"), the Company is subject  to
the  standards prescribed  by the federal  Occupational Safety &  Health Act and
rules promulgated  by  OSHA.  However, the  temporary  employees  are  generally
considered  the customer's  employees while on  the customer's job  site for the
purpose of applicable safety standards compliance liability.
 
    In 1995,  the Company's  accident rate  was approximately  one incident  per
6,000  man hours  worked. The Company  continues to  emphasize safety awareness,
which helps  control  workers'  compensation  costs,  through  training  of  its
management  employees and office staff,  safety sessions with employees, issuing
of safety equipment, monitoring of  job sites, and communicating with  customers
to  assure that the  job request order  is one that  can be safely accomplished.
Temporary workers are trained in  safety procedures primarily by showing  safety
tapes  at the beginning of each day. Bulletin boards with safety-related posters
are prominently displayed. "Tailgate" safety training sessions are conducted  at
the manager's and regional safety director's discretion.
 
                                       27

    The Company maintains its own inventory of safety equipment at each dispatch
office.  Standard equipment includes hard hats, metal tipped boots, gloves, back
braces, ear plugs, and  safety goggles. Equipment is  checked out to workers  as
appropriate.  All construction jobs require steel-toed boots and a hard hat. The
manager ensures that workers take basic safety equipment to job sites.
 
    Office personnel are trained to discuss job safety parameters with customers
on incoming work order calls. Managers conduct job site visits for new  customer
job  orders and periodic  "spot checks" for existing  customers to review safety
conditions at  job  sites.  Workers  are encouraged  to  report  unsafe  working
conditions to the Company.
 
    WAGE AND HOUR REGULATION.  Labor Ready is required to comply with applicable
state  and federal wage and hour laws. These laws require the Company to pay its
employees minimum wage and to pay overtime  at applicable rates of pay when  the
employee  works more than forty  hours in a work  week. In some states, overtime
pay may be required after eight or ten hours of work in a day.
 
COMPETITION
 
    The temporary services industry is highly fragmented and highly competitive,
with limited  barriers  to  entry.  A large  percentage  of  temporary  staffing
companies  are local  operations with fewer  than five offices.  Within local or
regional markets, these firms  actively compete with  the Company for  business.
The  primary basis of  competition among local  firms is price  and, to a lesser
extent, service.  While entry  into the  market has  limited barriers,  lack  of
working capital frequently limits growth of smaller competitors.
 
    Although there are several very large full-service and specialized temporary
labor  companies competing  in national,  regional and  local markets,  to date,
those companies have not aggressively expanded in the Company's targeted  market
segment.  Many  of these  competitors have  substantially greater  financial and
marketing resources than those of the Company. One or more of these  competitors
may decide at any time to enter or expand their existing activities in the light
industrial  market and provide new and increased competition to the Company. The
Company believes that,  among the  larger competitors,  the primary  competitive
factors  in  obtaining and  retaining customers  are the  cost of  the temporary
labor, the quality of the temporary workers provided, the responsiveness of  the
temporary   labor  company,  and  the  number   and  location  of  offices.  The
availability to the Company's customers of multiple temporary service  providers
creates  significant pricing pressure  as competitors compete  for the available
demand, and this pricing pressure adversely impacts operating margins.
 
TRADEMARKS
 
    The Company's business is not presently dependent on any patents,  licenses,
franchises,  or concessions. "Labor  Ready," the "LR" logo  and the service mark
"Work Today,  Paid Today"  are registered  with the  U.S. Patent  and  Trademark
Office.
 
PROPERTIES
 
    The  Company leases virtually  all of its  dispatch offices. Dispatch office
leases generally generally permit the Company to terminate on 30 days notice and
upon payment of three months rent. Certain  leases have a minimum one year  term
and  require additional payments  for taxes, insurance,  maintenance and renewal
options.
 
    In February 1995, the Company purchased a labor dispatch building which also
serves as a training center and  warehouse facility for supplies and storage  in
Tacoma,  Washington.  The Company  also owns  a 24,000  square foot  facility in
Tacoma, Washington which  serves as its  headquarters and administrative  office
building.  In early  May 1996,  the Company agreed,  subject to  approval of the
Board of Directors and  certain of the Company's  lenders, to purchase a  44,000
square  foot  office building  and adjoining  10,000 square  foot print  shop in
Tacoma, Washington  to  accommodate  the  Company's  continuing  expansion.  The
Company's  prior facility in Tacoma is for sale and is not currently in use. The
Company also  owns dispatch  buildings  in Kent,  Washington, and  Kansas  City,
Missouri.  Management  believes all  of the  Company's facilities  are currently
suitable for their intended use.
 
                                       28

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
 
    The Company is not currently subject to any material legal proceedings.  The
Company  may  from time  to time  become  a party  to various  legal proceedings
arising in  the normal  course  of its  business.  These actions  could  include
employee-related  issues  and  disputes  with  customers.  The  Company  carries
insurance for  actions  or  omissions  of its  temporary  employees.  Since  the
temporary  workers are under  the supervision of the  customer or its employees,
the Company  believes the  terms  of its  contracts  with its  customers,  which
provide  that the customers are responsible for  all actions or omissions of the
temporary workers,  limit  the  Company's liability.  Nevertheless,  any  future
claims  are subject to the uncertainties  related to litigation and the ultimate
outcome of any such proceedings or claims cannot be predicted. See "Risk Factors
- -- Liability for Acts of Temporary Workers."
 
                                       29

                                   MANAGEMENT
 
DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND KEY PERSONNEL
 
    The  names,  ages and  positions of  the  directors, executive  officers and
certain key employees of the Company are listed below along with their  business
experience  during the  past five years.  The business address  of all executive
officers of the Company is 2156 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, Washington 98402. All of
these individuals are  citizens of  the United  States. The  Company's Board  of
Directors  currently consists  of five directors.  Directors are  elected at the
annual meeting of shareholders to serve until they resign or are removed, or are
otherwise disqualified  to serve,  or  until their  successors are  elected  and
qualified.  Executive officers of the Company are appointed at the Board's first
meeting after each annual meeting  of the shareholders. No family  relationships
exist  among any of the  directors or executive officers  of the Company, except
that Todd A. Welstad is the son of Glenn A. Welstad.
 


                        NAME                              AGE                           POSITION
- -----------------------------------------------------  ---------  -----------------------------------------------------
                                                            
Glenn A. Welstad.....................................     52      Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and
                                                                   President
Ralph E. Peterson....................................     62      Director, Chief Financial Officer, and Assistant
                                                                   Secretary
Robert J. Sullivan...................................     65      Director
Thomas E. McChesney..................................     49      Director
Ronald L. Junck......................................     48      Director and Secretary
Scott J. Sabo........................................     35      Director of Operations
Todd A. Welstad......................................     27      Director of Management Information Systems
Keith T. Terrano.....................................     40      Director of Risk Management

 
    GLENN A.  WELSTAD has  served as  the  Company's Chairman  of the  Board  of
Directors,  Chief Executive Officer and President  since February 1988. Prior to
joining the Company,  Mr. Welstad was  an officer of  Body Toning, Inc.,  W.I.T.
Enterprises,  and Money  Mailer from  February 1987 to  March 1989.  In 1969 Mr.
Welstad  founded  Northwest  Management  Corporation,  a  holding  company   for
restaurant  operations. Over  the course of  15 years, Mr.  Welstad expanded the
operations to twenty-two locations in five states, which included eight Hardee's
Hamburger Restaurants as well as pizza  and Mexican restaurants. In March  1984,
Mr. Welstad sold his ownership interest in Northwest Management Corporation.
 
    RALPH  E. PETERSON has served as a  director and Chief Financial Officer and
Assistant Secretary of  the Company  since January  1996. Prior  to joining  the
Company he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Rax
Restaurants,  Inc. from December  1991 until August  1995. Rax Restaurants, Inc.
entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November  23, 1992 and emerged from  bankruptcy
pursuant to a plan of reorganization on November 8, 1993. From April 1983 to his
retirement in December 1991, Mr. Peterson was Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial  Officer and a  director of Hardee's Food  Systems, Inc., a restaurant
company operating and franchising over 4,000 restaurants located throughout  the
United States and abroad.
 
    ROBERT  J. SULLIVAN has served  as a director of  the Company since November
1994. Prior to joining the  Company he served as  a financial consultant of  the
Company  from July  1993 to  June 1994. Mr.  Sullivan served  as Chief Financial
Officer of Unifast Industries, Inc. from June 1990 to November 1991, and General
Manager of Reserve  Supply Company  of Long Island  from July  1992 to  December
1993.
 
    THOMAS E. MCCHESNEY has served as a director of the Company since July 1995.
In  January 1996,  Mr. McChesney  became associated  with Bathgate  and McColley
Capital, L.L.C. Mr.  McChesney is also  a director of  Ciclo Sports Shop,  Inc.,
Firstlink  Communications,  Inc.  and  THISoftware  Co.,  Inc.  Previously,  Mr.
McChesney was an  officer and  director of  Paulson Investment  Co. and  Paulson
Capital Corporation from March 1977 to June 1995.
 
    RONALD  L. JUNCK has served as a director and Secretary of the Company since
November 1995. He is an attorney in Phoenix, Arizona where he has specialized in
business law and commercial transactions since  1974. Mr. Junck serves as  legal
counsel to the Company and received $184,269 for legal services during 1995.
 
                                       30

    SCOTT  J. SABO  has served  as Director of  Operations of  the Company since
February 1995. Mr. Sabo joined the  Company June 1990 and held positions  within
the  Company as a customer service representative, sales manager, branch manager
and area director before being promoted to Regional Director, Eastern Region  in
June  1994.  Prior to  joining the  Company he  was employed  by Labor  World, a
national temporary labor  service company,  from April 1987  to May  1990, as  a
branch manager.
 
    TODD  A. WELSTAD has served as Director of Management Information Systems of
the Company since October 1994. Mr.  Welstad joined the Company in January  1994
as  the manager of the Tacoma branch office and in August 1994 was promoted to a
Systems Analyst  in the  MIS Department.  Prior to  joining the  Company he  was
employed  as a Technical Supervisor at  Micro-Rel, a division of Medtronics from
February 1989 to December 1994.
 
    KEITH T. TERRANO has  served as Director of  Risk Management of the  Company
since  April  1996.  Prior to  joining  the  Company he  was  Vice  President of
Cornerstone  Insurance  Company  and  Senior  Director  of  Risk  Management  of
Hillhaven Corporation from October 1987 to March 1996.
 
APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTORS
 
    Pursuant  to  the terms  of  the Shareholders  Agreement  (the "Shareholders
Agreement") entered  into as  of  October 31,  1995, between  Allied  Investment
Corporation,  Allied Investment  Corporation II,  Allied Capital  Corporation II
(collectively referred to herein as "Allied"), Seacoast Capital Partners Limited
Partnership ("Seacoast"),  Glenn A.  Welstad, John  R. Coghlan,  Coghlan  Family
Corporation,  and the Company, Allied and  Seacoast may collectively appoint one
of the Company's directors. To date they have not appointed a director.
 
    The Company has established a Compensation Committee and an Audit Committee,
the majority of  members of  which are independent,  outside directors.  Messrs.
Junck   (Chairman),  Sullivan  and  Welstad  are  members  of  the  Compensation
Committee, and Messrs.  Sullivan, Peterson  and McChesney are  members of  Audit
Committee.
 
INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS
 
    The  Washington  Business Corporation  Act  (the "Washington  Business Act")
provides that a company may indemnify  its directors and officers as to  certain
liabilities. The Company's Articles of Incorporation and By-laws provide for the
indemnification of its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by
law. The effect of such provisions is to indemnify the directors and officers of
the  Company against  all costs,  expenses and  liabilities incurred  by them in
connection with any  action, suit or  proceeding in which  they are involved  by
reason of their affiliation with the Company, to the fullest extent permitted by
law.
 
                                       31

                             PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS
 
    The  following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial
ownership of the Common  Stock, Preferred Stock, and  total voting stock  (which
includes  the Common Stock and Preferred Stock, the "Voting Stock") as of May 1,
1996, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of the shares of Common Stock  offered
hereby,  for (i) each person known to the Company to own beneficially 5% or more
of each class of the Company's outstanding Voting Stock, as of May 1, 1996, (ii)
each director  of the  Company,  (iii) each  executive  officer of  the  Company
required  to be identified as a Named  Executive Officer pursuant to Item 402 of
Regulation S-K and (iv) all  officers and directors of  the Company as a  group.
Except  as  otherwise noted,  the  named beneficial  owner  has sole  voting and
investment power.  See  "Management"  for a  description  of  each  individual's
position with the Company, if any.
 
   


                                                                   SHARES BENEFICIALLY      SHARES BENEFICIALLY
                                                                     OWNED PRIOR TO           OWNED AFTER THE
                                                                       OFFERING(1)              OFFERING(1)
NAME & ADDRESS (IF APPLICABLE)                                   -----------------------  -----------------------
OF BENEFICIAL OWNER                            TITLE OF CLASS      NUMBER      PERCENT      NUMBER      PERCENT
- -------------------------------------------  ------------------  ----------  -----------  ----------  -----------
                                                                                       
Glenn A. Welstad ..........................  Common Stock         1,214,171       20.0%    1,214,171       16.4%
 2342 Tacoma Ave. S.                         Preferred Stock        872,325       68.1       872,325       68.1
 Tacoma, WA 98402                            Voting Stock         2,086,496       28.4     2,086,496      24.13
Robert J. Sullivan ........................  Common Stock             9,000       *            9,000       *
                                             Preferred Stock              0        0.0             0        0.0
                                             Voting Stock             9,000       *            9,000       *
Thomas E. McChesney (2)....................  Common Stock            29,158       *           29,158       *
                                             Preferred Stock              0        0.0             0        0.0
                                             Voting Stock            29,158       *           29,158       *
Ronald L. Junck............................  Common Stock            46,158       *           46,158       *
                                             Preferred Stock              0        0.0             0        0.0
                                             Voting Stock            46,158       *           46,158       *
Ralph E. Peterson (3)......................  Common Stock            20,000       *           20,000       *
                                             Preferred Stock              0        0.0             0        0.0
                                             Voting Stock            20,000       *           20,000       *
John R. Coghlan (4) .......................  Common Stock           530,794        8.7       405,794        5.5
 5102 S. Morrill Lane                        Preferred Stock              0        0.0             0        0.0
 Spokane, WA 99223                           Voting Stock           530,794        7.2       405,794        4.7
Seacoast Capital Partners (5) .............  Common Stock           341,184        5.3     341,184 0        4.4
 Limited Partnership                         Preferred Stock              0        0.0       341,184        0.0
 55 Ferncroft Rd.                            Voting Stock           341,184        4.4                      3.7
 Danvers, Massachusetts 01923
Allied Investment Corporation (6) .........  Common Stock           341,184        5.3       341,184        4.4
 1666 K St., N.W., Suite 901                 Preferred Stock              0        0.0             0        0.0
 Washington D.C. 20006                       Voting Stock           341,184        4.4       341,184        3.7
Pauline L. Ferrell ........................  Common Stock           118,302        2.0       118,302        1.6
 6736 N. 58th                                Preferred Stock        165,033       12.9       165,033       12.9
 Scottsdale, AZ 85253                        Voting Stock           283,334        3.9       283,334        3.2
Sandra F. Jacques, Trustee ................  Common Stock                 0        0.0             0        0.0
 M. Jack Ferrell Trust                       Preferred Stock        165,032       12.9       165,032       12.9
 c/o David Hega                              Voting Stock           165,032        2.2       165,032        1.9
 2800 North Central, #1100
 Phoenix, AZ 85004

    
 
                                       32

   


                                                                   SHARES BENEFICIALLY      SHARES BENEFICIALLY
                                                                     OWNED PRIOR TO           OWNED AFTER THE
                                                                       OFFERING(1)              OFFERING(1)
NAME & ADDRESS (IF APPLICABLE)                                   -----------------------  -----------------------
OF BENEFICIAL OWNER                            TITLE OF CLASS      NUMBER      PERCENT      NUMBER      PERCENT
- -------------------------------------------  ------------------  ----------  -----------  ----------  -----------
                                                                                       
Dwight G. Enget ...........................  Common Stock            23,900       *           23,900       *
 3400 S. Mill Ave., Suite 128                Preferred Stock         78,734        6.1%       78,734        6.1%
 Tempe, Arizona 85286                        Voting Stock           102,634        1.4       102,634        1.2
All Officers and Directors as a Group (5     Common Stock         1,318,487       21.7     1,318,487       17.9
 individuals)..............................  Preferred Stock        872,325       68.1       872,325       68.1
                                             Voting Stock         2,190,812       29.8     2,190,812       25.3

    
 
- ------------------------
 *  Less than 1%.
 
(1)  Beneficial ownership is  calculated in accordance  with Rule 13d-3(d)(1) of
    the Exchange  Act of  1934, as  amended (the  "Exchange Act")  and  includes
    shares  of Common  Stock issuable  upon exercise  of options,  warrants, and
    other  securities  convertible  into   or  exchangeable  for  Common   Stock
    ("Convertible  Securities") currently  exercisable or  exercisable within 60
    days of May 1, 1996.
 
(2) Includes  19,158 shares  of  Common Stock  held  individually by  Thomas  E.
    McChesney  and 10,000 shares of Common Stock  held by his wife, Elizabeth R.
    McChesney.
 
(3) Includes currently exercisable options  to purchase 10,000 shares of  Common
    Stock at $11.90 per share.
 
(4) Includes 75,294 shares of Common Stock held individually by John Coghlan and
    455,500  shares of  Common Stock held  by the Coghlan  Family Corporation, a
    Washington corporation, of which John  Coghlan is President. 125,000  shares
    of  Common Stock will be  sold by the Coghlan  Family Corporation under Rule
    144 prior to consummation of the offering.
 
(5) Represents shares of Common Stock  issuable upon exercise of a warrant  that
    is  currently exercisable. The  exercise price of the  warrant is $11.67 per
    share and the warrant expires on October 31, 2002.
 
(6) Represents shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of warrants held by
    Allied  Investment  Corporation  for   180,828  shares,  Allied   Investment
    Corporation  II for  88,707 shares,  and Allied  Capital Corporation  II for
    71,649 shares,  a  family  of investment  companies  whose  investments  are
    managed by Allied Capital Corporation. The exercise price of the warrants is
    $11.67 per share and the warrants expire on October 31, 2002.
 
                              CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
 
    In  December 1992, two Washington  corporations, P.N.L.F., Inc. ("PNLF") and
Labor Ready of So. Calif., Inc. ("LRSC") merged with and into the Company, which
was the surviving corporation. As a result of the merger with PNLF, the  Company
acquired   the  remaining  outstanding  securities   of  Labor  Ready  Franchise
Development Corp., Inc. ("LRFD") with the result that LRFD became a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Company.  Each of PNLF,  LRSC and LRFD were  owned in part  by
Messrs.  Glenn A.  Welstad, John  R. Coghlan, then  an officer  and director and
beneficial owner of greater than 5% of  the Company's Common Stock, and M.  Jack
Ferrell  (deceased), then a director and owner  of more than 5% of the Company's
Common Stock. Consideration for the mergers and the stock purchase was shares of
the Company's Common  Stock and  shares of  the Company's  Preferred Stock.  Mr.
Ferrell's wife, Pauline Ferrell, owns 118,302 shares of Common Stock and 165,032
shares  of Preferred  Stock. The  M. Jack Ferrell  Trust owns  165,032 shares of
Preferred Stock. As a result of these transactions, Mr. Welstad received 361,507
shares of the  Company's Preferred  Stock and  375,000 shares  of the  Company's
Common  Stock, and Mr. Coghlan  and Mr. Ferrell each  received 220,043 shares of
the Company's Preferred Stock and 375,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock.
 
    In March  1994, the  Company's franchise  subsidiary, LRFD,  entered into  a
franchise  agreement  with Labor  Force of  Minnesota,  Inc. ("Labor  Force"), a
company owned  by Glenn  A. Welstad's  brother-in-law, Myron  D. Thompson.  LRFD
granted  Labor  Force  a limited,  nonassignable  license to  use  the Company's
 
                                       33

proprietary software and to employ the Company's methods and techniques of doing
business in  Minnesota's Hennepin  and Ramsey  counties. In  exchange for  these
rights  Labor Force paid LRFD royalties, equal to 2.0% of its gross receipts, of
$50,976 and $42,896 for 1994 and 1995.
 
    In 1995, Glenn A. Welstad  loaned the Company $70,000  for 20 days at  12.0%
interest  and $195,686 for 42 days at 12.0% interest, and John R. Coghlan loaned
the Company $74,000  for 20 days  at 12.0% interest  and $65,000 for  7 days  at
12.0%  interest. The loans  were unsecured and  believed by management  to be on
comparable or more  favorable terms  than those available  from unrelated  third
parties.
 
    As  the Company's Director  of Management Information  Systems, in 1994, Mr.
Todd A. Welstad was granted options to purchase 4,500 shares of Common Stock  at
an  exercise price of $2.98 per share.  In 1995, Mr. Welstad was granted options
to purchase 1,200 shares at an exercise price of $11.19 per share and 400 shares
at an exercise price of $13.60 per share.
 
   
    Upon appointment as the Company's  Chief Financial Officer in January  1996,
Mr.  Ralph E. Peterson was  granted options to purchase  50,000 shares of Common
Stock at $11.90 per share.
    
 
                          DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
 
    The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 25,000,000 shares of
Common Stock, no par value, and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock.
 
COMMON STOCK
 
    As of May 1,  1996, the Company had  6,066,633 outstanding shares of  Common
Stock held by 639 holders of record. Holders of Common Stock are entitled to one
vote  per share on all matters submitted to  a vote of the shareholders and have
no cumulative  voting  rights. Holders  of  Common  Stock are  not  entitled  to
preemptive, subscription or sinking fund rights. Subject to preferences that may
be  applicable to any then outstanding  preferred stock, holders of Common Stock
will be entitled to  receive ratably such  dividends as may  be declared by  the
Board  of Directors out of funds legally available therefor. See "Price Range of
Common Stock and Dividend Policy." In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of the  Company, holders of  Common Stock will  be entitled to  share
ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities and the liquidation
preference to any then outstanding preferred stock.
 
PREFERRED STOCK
 
    The  preferred  stock is  issuable in  one  or more  series, each  with such
designations, preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations and  restrictions
as  the  Board  of Directors  of  the Company  may  determine and  set  forth in
supplemental resolutions at  the time of  issuance, without further  shareholder
action.
 
    In  accordance with  the Company's Articles  of Incorporation,  the Board of
Directors has authorized one  series of preferred stock  designated as Series  A
Preferred  Stock, $0.667 par value (the "Preferred  Stock"). At May 1, 1996, the
Company had  1,281,123 outstanding  shares  of the  Preferred  Stock held  by  6
holders of record.
 
    Each share of Preferred Stock entitles the holder thereof to one vote in all
matters  submitted to a vote  of the shareholders of  the Company. The Preferred
Stock votes with  the Common Stock  as a  single class unless  the action  being
considered involves a change in the rights of the Preferred Stock. The Preferred
Stock  bears a cumulative annual  dividend rate of 5%  accrued on December 31 of
each year, is redeemable at any time at par value plus accumulated dividends  at
the  option of the Company, and contains a preferential liquidation distribution
equivalent to the par value plus all accumulated but unpaid dividends.
 
CERTAIN ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, BYLAWS AND STATUTORY PROVISIONS AFFECTING
SHAREHOLDERS
 
    SPECIAL MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS; SHAREHOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT
 
    The Company's  Articles  of  Incorporation permit  any  action  required  or
permitted  to be taken  by the Company's  shareholders to be  effected at a duly
called annual or  special meeting  of shareholders  or by  unanimous consent  in
writing.  Additionally,  the  Articles  of  Incorporation  and  Bylaws authorize
special
 
                                       34

meetings of the shareholders  of the Company  to be called  by any officer,  the
Board  of Directors  or one  or more  shareholders holding  at least  10% of the
shares entitled to vote on any issued proposed to be considered.
 
REGISTRATION RIGHTS
 
    The Company is obligated  to register under the  Securities Act of 1933,  as
amended,  shares of Common  Stock underlying outstanding  warrants and shares of
Common Stock sold by the Company in prior private placements. In connection with
such obligation, the Company currently  has an effective registration  statement
covering  approximately 2.0  million shares  of Common  Stock for  resale by the
holders thereof. The Company plans  to terminate such registration statement  in
June  1996 and to file  a new registration statement  covering such shares after
completion of this  offering. See "Risk  Factors -- Shares  Eligible for  Future
Sale."
 
TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR
 
    The  Company's  transfer  agent  and  registrar  for  its  Common  Stock  is
TranSecurities International, Inc., located in Spokane, Washington.
 
                                       35

                                  UNDERWRITING
 
    The underwriters  named  below  (the "Underwriters")  acting  through  their
Representative,  Van Kasper  & Company, have  severally agreed on  the terms and
subject to  the conditions  of an  Underwriting Agreement  with the  Company  to
purchase  from  the Company  the  number of  shares  of Common  Stock  set forth
opposite their respective names:
 


                                                                               NUMBER OF
NAME OF UNDERWRITER                                                              SHARES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------  ----------
                                                                            
Van Kasper & Company.........................................................
 
                                                                               ----------
Total........................................................................
                                                                               ----------
                                                                               ----------

 
    The shares  of Common  Stock are  being offered  by the  Underwriters  named
herein,  subject to receipt and acceptance by them, to their right to reject any
order in whole or in part, and to certain other conditions. The Underwriters are
committed to  purchase all  of  the above  shares of  Common  Stock if  any  are
purchased.
 
    The  Representative has advised the Company that the Underwriters propose to
offer the shares of Common Stock to  the public initially at the offering  price
set  forth on the cover  page of this Prospectus and  to certain dealers at that
price less a concession not in excess of $  per share, and that the Underwriters
and such dealers may reallow to  certain dealers, including any Underwriters,  a
discount  not in excess of  $ per share. After  the initial offering, the public
offering price, concessions  and reallowance to  dealers may be  changed by  the
Representatives as a result of market conditions or other factors.
 
    The  Company has granted  an option to the  Underwriters, exercisable by the
Representative within 45 days after the date of this Prospectus, to purchase  up
to 150,000 additional shares of Common Stock at the initial offering price, less
underwriting  discounts  and commissions.  The  Representative may  exercise the
over-allotment option solely  for the  purpose of  covering over-allotments,  if
any,  incurred in the sale of the shares  of Common Stock offered hereby. To the
extent that the  over-allotment option  is exercised, each  of the  Underwriters
will have a firm commitment to purchase approximately the same percentage of the
additional  shares as the number  of shares to be  purchased and offered by that
Underwriter in the above table bears to the total.
 
    The Company, all  of its  executive officers  and directors  who own  Common
Stock  and certain beneficial owners of the Common Stock have agreed, subject to
certain exceptions, not to offer to  sell, contract to sell, or otherwise  sell,
dispose  of, loan,  pledge or  grant any  rights with  respect to  any shares of
Common Stock, any options or warrants to purchase any shares of Common Stock  or
any  securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock, now
owned or hereafter acquired, for  a period of up to  180 days after the date  of
this Prospectus without the prior written consent of the Representative.
 
    The  Underwriting  Agreement  contains  covenants  of  indemnity  among  the
Underwriters and  the  Company  against  certain  civil  liabilities,  including
liabilities under the Securities Act.
 
                                 LEGAL MATTERS
 
    The  validity  of the  shares offered  hereby  will be  passed upon  for the
Company by Preston  Gates &  Ellis, Seattle, Washington.  Certain legal  matters
arising   in  connection  with  this  offering  will  be  passed  upon  for  the
Underwriters by Ryan Swanson & Cleveland, Seattle, Washington.
 
                                       36

                                    EXPERTS
 
    The financial statements included in this Prospectus and in the Registration
Statement have been audited  by BDO Seidman,  LLP, independent certified  public
accountants,  to  the extent  and  for the  periods  set forth  in  their report
appearing elsewhere herein and in  the Registration Statement, and are  included
in reliance upon such report given upon the authority of said firm as experts in
auditing and accounting.
 
                             AVAILABLE INFORMATION
 
    The Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act
and  in  accordance  therewith  files reports  and  other  information  with the
Securities and Exchange  Commission ("Commission").  Reports, proxy  statements,
and  other  information filed  by the  Company  can be  inspected at  the public
reference facilities of the  SEC, Judiciary Plaza,  450 Fifth Street  Northwest,
Washington, D.C. 20549, as well as the following Regional Offices: 7 World Trade
Center,  Suite 1300,  New York,  New York 10048;  and Citicorp  Center, 500 West
Madison Street, Suite 1400, Chicago, Illinois 60661-2511. Copies can be obtained
by mail at  prescribed rates. Requests  should be directed  to the SEC's  Public
Reference Section, Judiciary Plaza, 450 Fifth Street Northwest, Washington, D.C.
20549.
 
    The  Company has filed with the  Commission a Registration Statement on Form
S-3 under the Securities  Act with respect to  the Common Stock offered  hereby.
This  Prospectus, which constitutes a part  of the Registration Statement, omits
certain of  the information  contained  in the  Registration Statement  and  the
exhibits  and  schedules  thereto  filed with  the  Commission  pursuant  to the
Securities Act and the rules and  regulations of the Commission thereunder.  The
Registration  Statement,  including  exhibits  and  schedules  thereto,  may  be
inspected and  copied  at the  public  reference facilities  maintained  by  the
Commission  at 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington,  D.C. 20549 and copies may be
obtained at prescribed rates from the Public Reference Section of the Commission
at its  principal  office  in  Washington, D.C.  Statements  contained  in  this
Prospectus  as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to are
not necessarily complete and in each instance  reference is made to the copy  of
such  contract  or  other  document  filed as  an  exhibit  to  the Registration
Statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference
to the exhibit for a more complete description of the matter involved.
 
                INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
 
    The documents  listed  below  have  been filed  by  the  Company  under  the
Securities  Exchange  Act  of 1934,  as  amended,  with the  Commission  and are
incorporated herein by reference:
 
   
    1.  Annual  Report on Form  10-K and Form  10-KA for the  fiscal year  ended
       December 31, 1995; and
    
 
    2.   All documents filed  by the Company pursuant  to Sections 13(a), 13(c),
       14, and  15(d)  of  the Exchange  Act  subsequent  to the  date  of  this
       Prospectus  and prior  to the termination  of the offering  of the Common
       Stock; such documents shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference  in
       this  Prospectus  and to  be part  hereof  from the  date of  filing such
       documents.
 
    Any statement contained herein or in a document incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein  shall be deemed to  be modified or  superseded
for  purposes of this Prospectus to the extent that a statement contained herein
or in any  other subsequently filed  document that also  is or is  deemed to  be
incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such
statement  so modified or superseded shall not  be deemed, except as so modified
or superseded, to constitute a part of this Prospectus.
 
    Copies of  all documents  that  are incorporated  herein by  reference  (not
including  the exhibits to such documents, unless such exhibits are specifically
incorporated  by   reference  into   the   information  that   this   Prospectus
incorporates)  will be  provided without  charge to  each person,  including any
beneficial owner, to  whom this Prospectus  is delivered, upon  written or  oral
requests. Requests should be directed to the Assistant Secretary of the Company,
2156 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98402, telephone (206) 383-9101.
 
                                       37

                               LABOR READY, INC.
                         INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 


                                                                                                               PAGE
                                                                                                             ---------
                                                                                                          
Report of Independent Certified Public Accountants.........................................................  F-2
Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 1994 and 1995 and March 31, 1996...............................  F-3
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 1993, 1994 and 1995 and for the
 Three Months Ended March 31, 1995 and 1996................................................................  F-5
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 1993, 1994 and 1995 and
 for the Three Months Ended March 31, 1995 and 1996........................................................  F-6
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 1993, 1994 and 1995 and for the
 Three Months Ended March 31, 1995 and 1996................................................................  F-7
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.................................................................  F-9

 
                                      F-1

               REPORT OF INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
 
The Board of Directors and Shareholders of
Labor Ready, Inc.
 
    We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Labor Ready,
Inc.  and  subsidiaries  as  of  December 31,  1994  and  1995  and  the related
consolidated statements of operations, shareholders' equity, and cash flows  for
each  of the three years in the  period ended December 31, 1995. These financial
statements  are   the   responsibility   of  the   Company's   management.   Our
responsibility  is to express an opinion  on these financial statements based on
our audits.
 
    We conducted  our  audits in  accordance  with generally  accepted  auditing
standards.  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence  supporting
the  amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the  accounting  principles used  and  significant estimates  made  by
management,  as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
    In our  opinion, the  consolidated financial  statements referred  to  above
present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of
Labor  Ready,  Inc. and  subsidiaries  at December  31,  1994 and  1995  and the
consolidated results of their  operations and their cash  flows for each of  the
three  years in the period ended December 31, 1995, in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles.
 
Spokane, Washington                                             BDO Seidman, LLP
May 1, 1996
 
                                      F-2

                               LABOR READY, INC.
 
                          CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
 
                 DECEMBER 31, 1994 AND 1995 AND MARCH 31, 1996
 
                             ASSETS (NOTES 3 AND 5)
 


                                                                                    DECEMBER 31,
                                                                            ----------------------------
                                                                                1994           1995
                                                                            -------------  -------------    MARCH 31,
                                                                                                              1996
                                                                                                          -------------
                                                                                                           (UNAUDITED)
                                                                                                 
CURRENT ASSETS:
  Cash and cash equivalents...............................................  $     603,977  $   5,359,113  $   2,959,779
  Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $365,927,
   $868,607 and $1,100,304 (Notes 3 and 13)...............................      5,162,830     12,182,806     11,636,043
  Workers' compensation deposits and credits (Note 2).....................      1,337,369      1,886,644      2,206,644
  Prepaid expenses and other..............................................        348,814        602,052        875,753
  Deferred income taxes (Note 10).........................................        118,590        698,930        542,000
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
    Total current assets..................................................      7,571,580     20,729,545     18,220,219
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
 
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT (Note 4):
  Buildings and land......................................................        366,920      1,536,086      1,623,321
  Computers and software..................................................        704,150      2,005,985      2,770,920
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
                                                                                1,071,070      3,542,071      4,394,241
  Less accumulated depreciation...........................................        244,497        690,648        839,018
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
    Property and equipment, net...........................................        826,573      2,851,423      3,555,223
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
 
OTHER ASSETS:
  Intangible assets, less amortization of $69,020, $114,588 and
   $124,483...............................................................        191,431        962,632        952,737
  Workers' compensation deposits and credits, less current portion (Note
   2).....................................................................        105,832      1,427,905      2,091,000
  Deferred income taxes (Note 10).........................................         94,366         16,477         99,000
  Other...................................................................        122,194        193,653        193,723
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
    Total other assets....................................................        513,823      2,600,667      3,336,460
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
Total assets (Notes 3 and 5)..............................................  $   8,911,976  $  26,181,635  $  25,111,902
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------

 
          See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
                                      F-3

                               LABOR READY, INC.
 
                          CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
 
                 DECEMBER 31, 1994 AND 1995 AND MARCH 31, 1996
 
                      LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
 


                                                                                    DECEMBER 31,
                                                                            ----------------------------
                                                                                1994           1995
                                                                            -------------  -------------    MARCH 31,
                                                                                                              1996
                                                                                                          -------------
                                                                                                           (UNAUDITED)
                                                                                                 
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
  Checks issued against future deposits...................................  $    --        $     514,842  $     886,833
  Accounts payable........................................................        364,639      1,118,081      1,313,375
  Accrued wages and related expenses......................................        821,487      1,588,147      1,458,105
  Workers' compensation claims (Note 2)...................................        708,869      1,943,338      2,051,769
  Income taxes payable (Note 10)..........................................        497,000      1,161,000       --
  Note payable (Note 3)...................................................      3,160,580      1,591,206      1,428,158
  Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 4)...........................         78,291         39,117         41,318
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
    Total current liabilities.............................................      5,630,866      7,955,731      7,179,558
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
 
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
  Long-term debt, less current maturities (Note 4)........................        244,250        953,937        942,227
  Subordinated debt, less unamortized discount of $1,259,377 and
   $1,213,303 (Note 5)....................................................       --            8,740,623      8,786,697
  Convertible debentures (Note 7).........................................         75,000       --             --
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
    Total long-term liabilities...........................................        319,250      9,694,560      9,728,924
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
    Total liabilities.....................................................      5,950,116     17,650,291     16,908,482
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
 
Commitments and contingencies (Note 11)
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
  Preferred stock, $0.667 par value (Note 8): 5,000,000 shares authorized;
   issued and outstanding 1,281,123 shares................................        854,082        854,082        854,082
    Common stock, no par value (Note 9) 25,000,000 shares authorized;
     issued and outstanding, 4,971,594, 5,879,133 and 6,030,633 shares....      3,540,187      7,116,422      7,489,635
    Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment....................         (2,853)       (28,707)       (33,844)
  Retained earnings (accumulated deficit).................................     (1,429,556)       589,547       (106,453)
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
    Total shareholders' equity............................................      2,961,860      8,531,344      8,203,420
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
    Total liabilities and shareholders' equity............................  $   8,911,976  $  26,181,635  $  25,111,902
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------
                                                                            -------------  -------------  -------------

 
          See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
                                      F-4

                               LABOR READY, INC.
 
                     CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
 
            FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1994 AND 1995 AND
               FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1995 AND 1996
 


                                                                                            THREE MONTHS
                                                                                               ENDED
                                                 YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,                     MARCH 31,
                                       -------------------------------------------  ----------------------------
                                           1993           1994           1995           1995           1996
                                       -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------
                                                                                            (UNAUDITED)
                                                                                    
Revenues from services...............  $  15,658,832  $  38,950,683  $  94,361,629  $  12,617,752  $  26,093,924
Costs and expenses:
  Cost of services...................     12,400,599     30,712,945     76,642,962     10,494,339     22,207,458
  Selling, general and
   administrative....................      2,651,702      6,592,555     13,639,034      2,495,051      4,500,319
Interest and other, net..............        353,569        457,378        866,113        164,386        435,471
                                       -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------
Income (loss) before taxes on income
 and extraordinary item..............        252,962      1,187,805      3,213,520       (536,025)    (1,049,324)
Taxes on income (Note 10)............         31,775        336,000      1,151,713       (182,249)      (364,000)
                                       -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------
Income (loss) before extraordinary
 item................................        221,187        851,805      2,061,807       (353,776)      (685,324)
Extraordinary item -- forgiveness of
 debt (net of income tax effect of
 $24,635)............................         47,821       --             --             --             --
                                       -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------
Net income (loss)....................  $     269,008  $     851,805  $   2,061,807  $    (353,776) $    (685,324)
                                       -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------
                                       -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------
Earnings per common share:
  Income (loss) before extraordinary
   item..............................  $        0.06  $        0.19  $        0.35  $        (.07) $        (.12)
  Extraordinary item.................           0.01             --             --             --             --
                                       -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------
  Net income (loss)..................  $        0.07  $        0.19  $        0.35  $        (.07) $        (.12)
                                       -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------
                                       -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------
  Weighted average shares
   outstanding.......................      3,668,585      4,363,303      5,794,912      5,097,358      5,948,628
                                       -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------
                                       -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------  -------------

 
                See notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
                                      F-5

                               LABOR READY, INC.
 
                CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
            FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1994 AND 1995 AND
                   FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996
 


                                                                                                               CUMULATIVE
                                                                                                  RETAINED       FOREIGN
                                                 COMMON STOCK            PREFERRED STOCK          EARNINGS      CURRENCY
                                           ------------------------  ------------------------   (ACCUMULATED   TRANSLATION
                                             SHARES       AMOUNT       SHARES       AMOUNT        DEFICIT)     ADJUSTMENT
                                           ----------  ------------  ----------  ------------  --------------  -----------
                                                                                             
BALANCE, January 1, 1993.................   2,524,902  $  1,819,756   1,504,632  $  1,003,088   $ (2,606,516)  $   --
  Net income for the year................      --           --           --           --             269,008       --
  Common Stock exchanged for:
    Equipment from related party.........      60,000         8,000      --           --             --            --
    Notes................................     142,500        95,000      --           --             --            --
    Services.............................       8,100         2,850      --           --             --            --
    Real estate..........................      49,341        37,500      --           --             --            --
    Software.............................       4,500         7,500      --           --             --            --
  Common Stock sold for cash.............      22,500        11,250      --           --             --            --
  Common Stock options exercised.........   1,079,310       143,908      --           --             --            --
  Debentures converted...................      13,158        10,000      --           --             --            --
  Preferred Stock dividend...............      --           --           --           --             (50,154)      --
                                           ----------  ------------  ----------  ------------  --------------  -----------
BALANCE, December 31, 1993...............   3,904,311     2,135,764   1,504,632     1,003,088     (2,387,662)      --
  Net income for the year................      --           --           --           --             851,805       --
  Debentures converted...................     356,843       271,200      --           --             --            --
  Common Stock issued from private
   placement.............................     712,440     1,130,223      --           --             --            --
  Preferred Stock canceled...............      --           --         (223,509)     (149,006)       149,006       --
  Common Stock canceled on lapsing
   subscriptions.........................      (3,000)       (2,000)     --           --             --            --
  Common Stock issued for services.......       1,500         5,000      --           --             --            --
  Foreign currency translation
   (unaudited)...........................      --           --           --           --             --             (2,853)
  Preferred Stock dividend...............      --           --           --           --             (42,705)      --
                                           ----------  ------------  ----------  ------------  --------------  -----------
BALANCE, December 31, 1994...............   4,972,094     3,540,187   1,281,123       854,082     (1,429,556)       (2,853)
  Net income for the year................      --           --           --           --           2,061,807       --
  Common Stock issued on conversion of
   debt..................................     149,402       382,364      --           --             --            --
  Common Stock issued for 401(k) Plan....       1,197         7,679      --           --             --            --
  Common Stock issued from private
   placement.............................      14,000        69,998      --           --             --            --
  Common Stock issued on warrants
   exercised.............................     712,440     1,781,100      --           --             --            --
  Common Stock issued on the exercise of
   options...............................      30,000        45,000      --           --             --            --
  Detachable stock warrants..............      --         1,290,094      --           --             --            --
  Preferred Stock dividend...............      --           --           --           --             (42,704)      --
  Foreign currency translation...........      --           --           --           --             --            (25,854)
                                           ----------  ------------  ----------  ------------  --------------  -----------
BALANCE, December 31, 1995...............   5,879,133     7,116,422   1,281,123       854,082        589,547       (28,707)
Net loss for the period (unaudited)......      --           --           --           --            (685,324)      --
Common Stock issued on the exercise of
 options (unaudited).....................     151,500       373,213      --           --             --            --
Preferred Stock dividend (unaudited).....      --           --           --           --             (10,676)      --
Foreign currency translation
 (unaudited).............................      --           --           --           --             --             (5,137)
                                           ----------  ------------  ----------  ------------  --------------  -----------
BALANCE, March 31, 1996 (unaudited)......   6,030,633  $  7,489,635   1,281,123  $    854,082   $   (106,453)  $   (33,844)
                                           ----------  ------------  ----------  ------------  --------------  -----------
                                           ----------  ------------  ----------  ------------  --------------  -----------

 
                See notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
                                      F-6

                               LABOR READY, INC.
 
                     CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
 
            FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1994 AND 1995 AND
               FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1995 AND 1996
 


                                                                                                         THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                                                   YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,                   MARCH 31,
                                                           ----------------------------------------  --------------------------
                                                               1993          1994          1995         1995          1996
                                                           ------------  ------------  ------------  -----------  -------------
                                                                                                            (UNAUDITED)
                                                                                                   
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
  Net income (loss):.....................................      $269,008      $851,805    $2,061,807    $(353,776)     $(685,324)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in
 operating activities:
    Depreciation and amortization........................        65,135       178,416       522,436       80,424        204,329
    Common stock issued for services.....................         2,850         5,000       --           --            --
    Provision for doubtful accounts......................       119,049       341,799     1,084,526      258,541      1,020,544
    Forgiveness of debt, extraordinary...................       (72,456)      --            --           --            --
    Deferred income taxes................................        47,044      (260,000)     (502,451)    (100,000)        74,407
Changes in assets and liabilities:
  Accounts receivable....................................    (1,045,788)   (3,597,793)   (8,104,502)    (869,908)      (473,781)
  Workers' compensation deposits and credits.............      (177,239)   (1,265,962)   (1,871,348)    (311,374)      (983,095)
  Prepaid expenses and other.............................       (44,224)     (234,221)     (324,697)    (281,264)      (273,771)
  Accounts payable.......................................        46,353       239,186       753,442      705,236        195,294
  Accrued wages and benefits.............................       188,021       535,281       774,339      511,908       (130,042)
  Accrued workers' compensation claims...................       173,038       458,938     1,234,469      231,182        108,431
  Income taxes payable...................................       (20,717)      497,000       664,000     (332,248)    (1,161,000)
                                                           ------------  ------------  ------------  -----------  -------------
Net cash used in operating activities....................      (449,926)   (2,250,551)   (3,707,979)    (461,279)    (2,103,998)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
  Capital expenditures...................................      (176,383)     (549,959)   (2,471,001)    (396,744)      (852,170)
  Intangible assets acquired.............................       --            (43,501)      --           --            --
                                                           ------------  ------------  ------------  -----------  -------------
Net cash used in investing activities....................      (176,383)     (593,460)   (2,471,001)    (396,744)      (852,170)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
  Net borrowings on note payable.........................       163,771     2,177,409    (1,569,374)    (140,015)      (163,048)
  Checks issued against future deposits..................                     --            514,842      --             371,991
  Proceeds from issuance of common stock.................        11,250     1,130,223        69,998      --            --
  Proceeds from warrants exercised.......................       --            --          1,781,100      514,295       --
  Proceeds from options exercised........................       --            --             45,000      --             373,213
  Debt issue costs.......................................       --            --           (816,769)     --            --
  Proceeds from stock subscriptions......................        13,675        79,325       --           --            --
  Proceeds from issuance of convertible debentures.......       356,200       --            --           --            --
  Borrowings on long-term debt...........................        10,000        74,000    11,529,951      --            --
  Payments on long-term debt.............................      (103,075)     (189,221)     (552,074)     (20,532)        (9,509)
  Dividends..............................................       --            (50,154)      (42,704)     (10,676)       (10,676)
                                                           ------------  ------------  ------------  -----------  -------------
  Net cash provided by financing activities..............       451,821     3,221,582    10,959,970      343,072        561,971
  Effect of exchange rates...............................       --             (2,853)      (25,854)     (11,669)        (5,137)
                                                           ------------  ------------  ------------  -----------  -------------
  Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents...      (174,488)      374,718     4,755,136     (526,620)    (2,399,334)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period...........       403,747       229,259       603,977      603,977      5,359,113
                                                           ------------  ------------  ------------  -----------  -------------
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period.................  $    229,259  $    603,977  $  5,359,113  $    77,357  $   2,959,779
                                                           ------------  ------------  ------------  -----------  -------------
                                                           ------------  ------------  ------------  -----------  -------------

 
                See notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
                                      F-7

                               LABOR READY, INC.
 
                     CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
 
            FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1994 AND 1995 AND
               FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1995 AND 1996
 


                                                                                                   THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                                               YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,                 MARCH 31,
                                                       ---------------------------------------  ------------------------
                                                          1993         1994          1995          1995         1996
                                                       -----------  -----------  -------------  -----------  -----------
                                                                                              
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION
  Interest paid......................................  $   344,302  $   513,497  $   1,302,929  $   151,653  $   506,436
  Income taxes paid..................................  $    46,552  $    99,000  $     990,164  $   250,000  $   983,315
NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
  Issuance of common stock for subscriptions, assets
   and debt..........................................  $   278,233  $   --       $    --        $   --       $   --
  Issuance of common stock for conversion of
   promissory notes..................................      --           --       $     307,364  $    40,000  $   --
  Contribution of common stock to employer 401(k)
   plan..............................................      --           --       $       7,679  $   --       $   --
  Assets acquired in exchange for note...............  $    35,000      --            --            --           --
  Debt forgiven......................................  $     2,456      --            --            --           --
  Cancellation of preferred stock....................      --       $   149,006       --            --           --
  Issuance of common stock for conversion of
   convertible debentures............................  $    10,000  $   271,200  $      75,000      --           --
  Refinance of note payable, net.....................      --       $     2,000       --            --           --

 
                See notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
                                      F-8

                               LABOR READY, INC.
 
                   NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
            FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1994 AND 1995 AND
                   FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996
 
                       INFORMATION AT MARCH 31, 1996 AND
             FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996 IS UNAUDITED
 
1.  SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
    A. BASIS OF PRESENTATION
 
    The consolidated financial statements include  the accounts of Labor  Ready,
Inc.  and its  wholly-owned subsidiary  Labour Ready  Temporary Services Limited
(collectively referred to  as "the Company").  The Company's principal  business
activity  involves providing temporary  help services to  construction and small
manufacturing companies  in  the  United  States and  Canada.  The  Company  was
incorporated under the laws of the State of Washington on March 19, 1985.
 
    All   intercompany  balances  and  transactions   have  been  eliminated  in
consolidation.
 
    B. INTERIM FINANCIAL INFORMATION
    The consolidated financial statements at March 31, 1995 and 1996 and for the
three months  ended March  31, 1995  and  1996 are  unaudited, but  include  all
adjustments  (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) which the Company
considers necessary for a  fair presentation of the  financial position at  such
dates  and the operating results  and cash flows for  those periods. Results for
interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the
entire year.
 
    C. REVENUE RECOGNITION
    Revenues from services and the related cost of services are recorded in  the
period  in which  the services  are performed.  Franchise activity  and fees are
minimal.
 
    D. CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
    The Company  considers  all  highly  liquid  instruments  purchased  with  a
remaining maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
 
    E. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
    Property  and equipment are  stated at cost.  Depreciation is computed using
the straight-line  method over  the  estimated useful  lives of  the  respective
assets.
 
    F. INTANGIBLE ASSETS
    The  intangible  assets  primarily  consist  of  deferred  financing  costs,
customer lists, and  non-compete agreements. Deferred  financing costs  resulted
from the issuance of subordinated debt, and are being amortized over the life of
the  subordinated debt. Amortization of the  other intangible assets is computed
using the straight line method over periods not exceeding ten years.  Management
evaluates,  on an ongoing basis, the carrying value of the intangible assets and
makes a specific provision against the asset when an impairment is identified.
 
    G. INCOME TAXES
    The Company accounts for income taxes  in accordance with the provisions  of
Statement  of  Financial Accounting  Standards (SFAS)  No. 109,  "Accounting for
Income Taxes".  Deferred income  taxes are  provided for  temporary  differences
between  the  financial  reporting  and tax  basis  of  assets  and liabilities.
Deferred taxes are measured using  enacted tax rates in  effect in the years  in
which  the  temporary  differences  are expected  to  reverse.  Tax  credits are
accounted for as a  reduction of income  taxes in the year  in which the  credit
originates.
 
    H. EARNINGS PER SHARE
    The  primary  earnings per  common share  was computed  by dividing  the net
income less preferred stock dividends by  the weighted average number of  shares
of  common  stock  and  common stock  equivalents  outstanding  for  all periods
presented. Fully  diluted earnings  per share  does not  differ materially  from
primary earnings per share. In 1995, the Company declared a three-for-two Common
Stock  split, which  has been  retroactively applied for  1993 and  1994, in the
determination of  the weighted  average number  of shares  of Common  Stock  and
Common Stock equivalents outstanding.
 
                                      F-9

                               LABOR READY, INC.
 
             NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
            FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1994 AND 1995 AND
                   FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996
 
                       INFORMATION AT MARCH 31, 1996 AND
             FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996 IS UNAUDITED
 
1.  SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)
    I. FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSLATION
    Assets  and  liabilities  of  Labour Ready  Temporary  Services  Limited are
translated at the rate of exchange in  effect on the balance sheet date;  income
and expenses are translated at the weighted average rates of exchange prevailing
during  the  year.  The related  translation  adjustments are  reflected  in the
accumulated translation adjustment section of the stockholders' equity.
 
    J. WORKERS' COMPENSATION
    The Company established  provisions for  future claim  liabilities based  on
estimates  of the future cost of claims and claim losses (including future claim
adjustment expenses) that have been reported but not settled, and of losses that
have been  incurred but  not reported.  Adjustments to  the claims  reserve  are
charged or credited to expense in the periods in which they are made.
 
    K. MANAGEMENT'S ESTIMATES
    The  preparation  of  financial  statements  in  conformity  with  generally
accepted  accounting  principles  requires  management  to  make  estimates  and
assumptions  that affect the reported assets  and liabilities and disclosures of
contingent assets and liabilities  at the date of  the financial statements  and
the reported amount of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual
results could differ from those estimates.
 
    L. ADVERTISING COSTS
    The  Company adopted Statement  of Position 93-7,  "Reporting on Advertising
Costs" in 1995. This statement was issued by the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants  and requires  the costs  of advertising  to be  expensed  as
incurred  or the first  time that the  advertising takes place.  The adoption of
this standard did not have a  significant effect on the financial statements  of
the Company.
 
    M. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
    In  October 1995, the FASB issued  SFAS No. 123, "Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation," which requires  that companies  measure the  cost of  stock-based
employee  compensation at  the grant date  based on  the value of  the award and
recognize this cost over the service period. The value of the stock based  award
is  determined using the intrinsic value method whereby compensation cost is the
excess of  the  quoted  market prices  of  the  stock at  grant  date  or  other
measurement date over the amount an employee must pay to acquire the stock. SFAS
No.  123 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 1995, and is not expected to have a significant impact on the
Company's financial statements.
 
    N. ACCOUNTING FOR LONG-LIVED ASSETS
 
    In March 1995, the FASB issued SFAS No. 121, "Accounting for the  Impairment
of  Long-Lived  Assets  and  for  Long-Lived Assets  to  be  Disposed  of." This
statement requires that long-lived assets and certain intangibles to be held and
used by  an entity  be reviewed  for impairment  whenever events  or changes  in
circumstances  indicate  that  the  carrying  amount  of  an  asset  may  not be
recoverable. The measurement  of an  impairment loss for  long-lived assets  and
identifiable  intangibles that an entity expects to hold and use should be based
on the  fair  value of  the  asset. SFAS  No.  121 is  effective  for  financial
statements  for  fiscal years  beginning  after December  15,  1995, and  is not
expected to have a significant impact on the Company's financial statements.
 
    O. RECLASSIFICATION
 
    Certain items in the  1994 and 1993  consolidated financial statements  have
been reclassified to conform to the classifications used in 1995.
 
                                      F-10

                               LABOR READY, INC.
             NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
 
           For the Years Ended December 31, 1993, 1994, and 1995 and
                   For the Three Months Ended March 31, 1996
 
                       Information at March 31, 1996 and
             For the Three Months Ended March 31, 1996 is Unaudited
 
2.  WORKERS' COMPENSATION CREDITS RECEIVABLE
    As  required by  the laws of  the various  states in which  Labor Ready does
business, the Company provides workers' compensation insurance to its  temporary
workers and office staff. Each state has specific workers' compensation programs
and  requirements regarding  the deposit  of funds  for the  payment of workers'
compensation claims and related claim settlement and administrative expenses. In
Washington, Nevada and Ohio (the "Monopolistic States"), the Company is required
to  make  payments  at  rates  established  by  each  state  based  on  the  job
classification  of the  insured workers  and previous  claims experience  of the
Company.  These  payments   are  made  directly   to  a  workers'   compensation
administrator  employed  by  the State,  who  in  turn disburses  funds  for the
settlement  of  claims  and  related  expenses.  Amounts  paid  to  these  state
administered  programs  which are  not disbursed  for  claims and  related claim
settlement and administrative expenses are returned to the Company. At  December
31,  1994  and 1995,  the Company  recorded  workers' compensation  deposits and
credits receivables from the Monopolistic States of $312,626 and $967,644.
 
    Workers' compensation claims in the remaining states (the  "Non-Monopolistic
States")  are managed  by a  third party  administrator engaged  by the Company.
These Non-Monopolistic States allow a fronting insurance company licensed to  do
business  in those states to guarantee Labor Ready's ability to pay these claims
and related expenses as they  occur, and allow the claims  to be managed by  the
Company  or selected claims administrators.  For Non-Monopolistic State workers'
compensation, the  Company purchased  "stop loss"  insurance coverage  for  most
individual  claims in excess of $250,000 and for 1995 aggregate losses in excess
of $5.4 million.
 
    In 1995, the Company deposited $4.6 million with a foreign off-shore company
for the payment of workers' compensation  claims and related expenses on  claims
originating  in the Non-Monopolistic States. At  December 31, 1995, $2.3 million
remained on deposit for the payment of future claims and is recorded as workers'
compensation  deposits  and  credits.  Estimated  incurred  losses  and  related
settlement  and  administrative  expenses  to be  paid  from  those  deposits of
$1,063,000 are  recorded  as current  workers'  compensation claims  payable  at
December  31,  1995. Through  March  31, 1996,  an  additional $1.5  million was
deposited  with  the  foreign   insurance  company  and   at  March  31,   1996,
approximately  $3.3 million remained on deposit for the payment of future claims
and claims  settlement expenses  which were  estimated by  the Company  at  $1.3
million.
 
    In  1994, the workers' compensation  claims for Non-Monopolistic States were
managed by  a domestic  third party  administrator and  insured by  the  various
states  in which the Company employed  workers. Workers' compensation expense of
$3,126,601 and $5,907,771  was recorded as  a component of  cost of services  in
1994 and 1995.
 
3.  NOTE PAYABLE
    The  Company pledged its accounts receivable  to a private financing company
for an  accounts receivable  revolving credit  line. On  October 31,  1995,  the
Company  renegotiated  its  loan  agreement  which  changed  the  nature  of the
borrowings to an  asset based  loan limited  to the  lesser of  80% of  eligible
receivables (as defined in the credit agreement) or $5,000,000. Borrowings under
the  line,  which expired  on  April 30,  1996,  were secured  by  the Company's
accounts receivable.  Interest  on borrowings  was  charged at  prime  plus  two
percent  plus a facility fee of one  percent per annum and an administrative fee
equal to one-fifth of one percent  per month. The agreement required  compliance
with  certain financial covenants principally  relating to working capital, debt
to equity,  and dividend  payment restrictions.  As of  December 31,  1995,  the
Company  was in  compliance with the  covenants except for  the dividend payment
restrictions, for which a waiver was obtained.
 
                                      F-11

                               LABOR READY, INC.
             NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
           FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1994, AND 1995 AND
                   FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996
 
                       INFORMATION AT MARCH 31, 1996 AND
             FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996 IS UNAUDITED
 
3.  NOTE PAYABLE (CONTINUED)
    On February 15, 1996, the Company entered into an agreement with US Bank  to
provide  the Company with a $10,000,000 revolving line of credit that carries an
interest rate of prime plus 1/4% (8.5%  at March 31, 1996), and a maturity  date
of  September 30, 1996. At  the option of the Company,  the interest rate can be
fixed at  the rate  in effect  as of  the date  this option  is exercised.  This
agreement  replaced  the Company's  former line  of credit  which was  repaid in
February 1996.  The  line of  credit  is  collateralized by  all  the  Company's
accounts, chattel paper, contract rights and general intangibles.
 
    Short-term borrowing activity was as follows:
 


                                                                                    DECEMBER 31,
                                                                              ------------------------
                                                                                 1994         1995
                                                                              -----------  -----------
                                                                                     
Balance outstanding at year-end.............................................  $ 3,160,580  $ 1,591,206
Stated interest rate at year-end, including applicable fees.................        11.25%       11.95%
Maximum amount outstanding at any month end.................................  $ 4,483,762  $ 7,731,789
Average amount outstanding..................................................  $ 2,898,549  $ 5,907,364
Weighted average interest rate during the year, including applicable fees...        15.27%       16.49%

 
    The average amount outstanding and the weighted average interest rate during
the year were computed based upon the average daily balances and rates.
 
4.  LONG-TERM DEBT
    Long-term debt consisted of the following at December 31, 1994 and 1995:
 


                                                                                       DECEMBER 31,
                                                                                   --------------------
                                                                                     1994       1995
                                                                                   ---------  ---------
                                                                                        
Mortgage note payable -- secured by a building in Tacoma, Washington, payable at
 $4,721 per month through May 2005, including interest at 9.71%..................  $  --      $ 523,124
Mortgage note payable -- secured by a building in Tacoma, Washington, payable at
 $1,736 per month through January 2015, including interest at 8.5%...............     --        196,707
Mortgage note payable -- secured by a building in Tacoma, Washington, payable at
 $1,637 per month through February 2004, including interest at 8%................    122,589    112,366
Mortgage note payable -- secured by a building in Kansas City, Missouri, payable
 at $988 per month through June 2005 including interest at 10.5%.................     --         70,757
Mortgage note payable -- secured by a building in Kent, Washington, payable at
 $1,142 per month through January 2000, including interest at 9%.................     55,000     46,671
Mortgage note payable -- secured by a building in Kansas City, Missouri, payable
 at $601 per month through March 2004, including interest at 8%..................     46,999     43,429
Other notes payable..............................................................     97,953     --
                                                                                   ---------  ---------
Long-term debt...................................................................    322,541    993,054
Less current maturities..........................................................     78,291     39,117
                                                                                   ---------  ---------
Long-term debt, less current maturities..........................................  $ 244,250  $ 953,937
                                                                                   ---------  ---------
                                                                                   ---------  ---------

 
                                      F-12

                               LABOR READY, INC.
             NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
           FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1994, AND 1995 AND
                   FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996
 
                       INFORMATION AT MARCH 31, 1996 AND
             FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996 IS UNAUDITED
 
4.  LONG-TERM DEBT (CONTINUED)
    Scheduled long-term debt maturities at December 31, 1995 are as follows:
 


YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31,                                                     AMOUNT
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------  ---------
                                                                         
1996......................................................................  $  39,117
1997......................................................................     45,360
1998......................................................................     47,690
1999......................................................................     52,097
2000......................................................................     43,881
Thereafter................................................................    764,909
                                                                            ---------
      Total...............................................................  $ 993,054
                                                                            ---------
                                                                            ---------

 
5.  SUBORDINATED DEBT
    On  October 31, 1995,  the Company issued  subordinated debt with detachable
stock warrants  in exchange  for  $10,000,000. The  debt,  which is  secured  by
substantially  all  assets of  the Company  including a  key man  life insurance
policy, bears interest at 13% and is  to be repaid in 17 quarterly  installments
of $588,235 commencing in October 1998. The Company recorded a debt discount and
allocated  $1,259,377  of the  proceeds  to the  value  of the  detachable stock
warrants (see note  9). In  connection with  arranging the  debt agreement,  the
Company  incurred costs  of approximately  $800,000 which  is included  in other
assets and is  being amortized over  the life  of the debt.  The debt  agreement
contains  various financial covenants,  primarily related to  minimum net worth,
capital additions and  cash flow  requirements, with  which the  Company was  in
compliance at December 31, 1995 and March 31, 1996.
 
    Scheduled maturities of the subordinated debentures at December 31, 1995 are
as follows:
 


YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31,                                                    AMOUNT
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------  ------------
                                                                      
1996...................................................................  $          0
1997...................................................................             0
1998...................................................................       588,235
1999...................................................................     2,352,940
2000...................................................................     2,352,940
Thereafter.............................................................     4,705,885
                                                                         ------------
      Total............................................................    10,000,000
Less unamortized discount..............................................     1,259,377
                                                                         ------------
Subordinated debt, net of discount.....................................  $  8,740,623
                                                                         ------------
                                                                         ------------

 
6.  RELATED PARTY DEBT
    In  1995, officers of the  Company provided cash to  the Company in exchange
for short  term  notes payable.  These  notes payable  aggregated  $424,687  and
carried  an interest rate of  12%. These notes payable  were paid in full during
1995.
 
    In January  1993, officers  of  the Company  used  $143,908 of  the  related
long-term  debt due related parties outstanding at December 31, 1992 to exercise
Common Stock  options.  The officers  forgave  $72,456  of this  debt  which  is
reflected as an extraordinary item in 1993.
 
                                      F-13

                               LABOR READY, INC.
             NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
           FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1994, AND 1995 AND
                   FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996
 
                       INFORMATION AT MARCH 31, 1996 AND
             FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996 IS UNAUDITED
 
7.  CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURES
    In 1993, the Company sold $356,200 of convertible debentures. The debentures
were convertible into Common Stock at a price of $.76 per share through June 30,
1994  with the conversion  price increasing $.09  on June 30  of each subsequent
year through  1998. In  1994,  $271,200 of  the  debentures was  converted  into
356,843  shares at $.76 per share. In 1995, the remaining $75,000 of convertible
debentures was converted into 87,893 shares of Common Stock at $.85 per share.
 
8.  PREFERRED STOCK
    The Company has authorized 5,000,000 shares of blank check Preferred Stock.
 
    The Preferred  Stock is  issuable in  one  or more  series, each  with  such
designations,  preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations and restrictions
as the  Board  of Directors  of  the Company  may  determine and  set  forth  in
supplemental  resolutions at the  time of issuance,  without further shareholder
action.
 
    The initial series of Preferred Stock  of the corporation authorized by  the
Board  of  Directors  in  accordance with  the  Articles  of  Incorporation, was
designated as  Series A  Preferred Stock.  At December  31, 1994  and 1995,  the
Company  had 1,281,123 outstanding  shares of the Series  A Preferred Stock with
the following terms:
 
    Par value $0.667, with  each share of Series  A Preferred Stock entitled  to
one  vote in all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Company.
The Series A Preferred stock will vote on par with the Common Shares as a single
class unless the action being considered involves a change in the rights of  the
Series A Preferred Stock. The Series A Preferred Stock bears a cumulative annual
dividend rate of five percent accrued on December 31 of each year, is redeemable
at par value plus accumulated dividends at the option of the Company at any time
after  December 31, 1994,  and contains an  involuntary preferential liquidation
distribution  equivalent  to  the  par  value  plus  all  accumulated  dividends
remaining unpaid.
 
    In  February  1996,  the  Board  of  Directors  authorized  a  three-for-two
Preferred Stock split. This  Preferred Stock split was  effected in the form  of
three  shares of Preferred Stock issued for  every two shares of Preferred Stock
outstanding as of the  date of declaration. All  applicable share and per  share
data have been adjusted for the stock split.
 
    During  1994, 223,509 shares of Preferred Stock outstanding were canceled as
a result of  settlement of litigation.  There is no  established market for  the
Company's  Preferred Stock and management estimated  the value of these canceled
shares to be insignificant.
 
    A Preferred Stock dividend in the amount of $42,704 was accrued December 31,
1994 and 1995, and paid in January 1995 and 1996. At March 31, 1996, the accrued
Preferred Stock dividend was $10,676.
 
9.  COMMON STOCK
    In 1995, the Board of Directors granted options to purchase 54,900 shares of
the Company's Common Stock  at a price  equal to 85% of  the Common Stock's  bid
price at the date of grant ($5.45 to $13.60 per share) and in February 1996, the
Board  of  Directors granted  additional options  to  purchase 50,000  shares of
Common Stock under the  same terms previously described.  These options are  20%
vested  on the date of grant and the remainder will vest evenly over a four year
period beginning one year from the date of grant and generally expire five years
from the date of grant.
 
                                      F-14

                               LABOR READY, INC.
             NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
           FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1994, AND 1995 AND
                   FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996
 
                       INFORMATION AT MARCH 31, 1996 AND
             FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996 IS UNAUDITED
 
9.  COMMON STOCK (CONTINUED)
    In November 1995,  the Board  of Directors declared  a three-for-two  Common
Stock split. This Common Stock split was effected in the form of three shares of
Common  Stock issued for every two shares of Common Stock outstanding, as of the
date of declaration. All applicable share and per share data have been  adjusted
for the stock split.
 
    In  1994, the Board of Directors  granted options to purchase 226,500 shares
of the Company's Common Stock. Of  these options, 46,500 are exercisable at  85%
of the Common Stock's bid price at the date of grant ($2.27 to $4.82 per share).
The options will vest evenly over a four year period beginning one year from the
date  of  grant and  generally expire  five years  from the  date of  grant. The
remaining 180,000  of  stock  options  outstanding  at  December  31,  1994  are
exercisable at prices at or above the Common Stock's market price at the date of
grant ($1.83 to $5.00 per share). These options were fully vested upon grant and
expire two years from the date of grant.
 
    On  September 30, 1994 and October 31,  1994, the Company issued 287,700 and
424,740 shares of Common Stock, respectively,  for $1.67 per share in a  private
placement.  Each share of Common Stock  issued included a detachable warrant for
one share of Common Stock. All of these warrants were exercised in March 1995 at
a price of $2.50 per share.
 
    In connection with the issuance of $10,000,000 of subordinated debt in  1995
(see  Note 5), the Company issued warrants  to purchase 742,368 shares of Common
Stock at an exercise price of $11.67  per share. The warrants expire in  October
2002.
 
10. INCOME TAXES
    Temporary   differences  which  gave   rise  to  the   deferred  tax  assets
(liabilities) consisted of the following at December 31, 1994 and 1995:
 


                                                                                      DECEMBER 31,
                                                                                ------------------------
                                                                                   1994         1995
                                                                                -----------  -----------
                                                                                       
Allowance for doubtful accounts...............................................  $   143,635  $   323,990
Prepaid expenses..............................................................     (114,277)    (161,385)
Workers' compensation credits receivable......................................     (125,050)    (360,931)
Workers' compensation claims..................................................      153,475      721,895
Net operating loss carryforwards..............................................      146,653      126,985
Vacation accrual..............................................................      --            20,515
Foreign net operating loss carryforwards......................................      --            75,166
Other, net....................................................................        8,520      (30,828)
                                                                                -----------  -----------
Total deferred tax assets, net................................................      212,956      715,407
Less non-current deferred tax assets, net.....................................       94,366       16,477
                                                                                -----------  -----------
Current deferred tax assets, net..............................................  $   118,590  $   698,930
                                                                                -----------  -----------
                                                                                -----------  -----------

 
    The Company  has assessed  its past  earnings history  and trends,  budgeted
sales,  expiration dates of loss carryforwards, and its ability to implement tax
planning strategies which are designed to accelerate or increase taxable income.
Based on  the  results  of  this  analysis,  no  valuation  allowance  has  been
established  as management  believes that  it is more  likely than  not that the
deferred tax asset will be realized.
 
                                      F-15

                               LABOR READY, INC.
             NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
           FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1994, AND 1995 AND
                   FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996
 
                       INFORMATION AT MARCH 31, 1996 AND
             FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996 IS UNAUDITED
 
10. INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED)
    As of December 31,  1995, the Company has  net operating loss  carryforwards
totaling  $340,444, limited to  use of $26,188  per year, the  majority of which
expire in 2006.
 
    The provision (benefit) for income taxes consists of:
 


                                                                                          DECEMBER 31,
                                                                              ------------------------------------
                                                                                1993        1994          1995
                                                                              ---------  -----------  ------------
                                                                                             
Current:
  Federal...................................................................  $  --      $   506,919  $  1,419,728
  State.....................................................................      9,366       89,081       234,436
                                                                              ---------  -----------  ------------
Total current...............................................................      9,366      596,000     1,654,164
                                                                              ---------  -----------  ------------
Deferred:
  Federal...................................................................     47,044     (221,074)     (482,051)
  State.....................................................................     --          (38,926)      (20,400)
                                                                              ---------  -----------  ------------
Total deferred..............................................................     47,044     (260,000)     (502,451)
                                                                              ---------  -----------  ------------
Total taxes on income.......................................................  $  56,410  $   336,000  $  1,151,713
                                                                              ---------  -----------  ------------
                                                                              ---------  -----------  ------------

 
    A reconciliation  between  taxes  computed  at  the  United  States  federal
statutory tax rate, and the consolidated effective tax rate is as follows:
 


                                                                                       DECEMBER 31,
                                                          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                  1995
                                                                  1993                    1994           -----------------------
                                                          ---------------------  ----------------------                    %
                                                            AMOUNT        %        AMOUNT         %         AMOUNT        --
                                                          ----------     ---     -----------     ---     ------------
                                                                                                     
Income tax expense based on statutory rate..............  $  110,642         34  $   403,853         34  $  1,092,597         34
Increase (decrease) resulting from:
  State income taxes, net of federal benefit............                              71,268          6       106,046          3
  Change in valuation allowance.........................                            (157,128)       (13)      --
Utilization of net operating losses not previously
 benefited..............................................     (58,794)       (18)     --                       (46,930)        (1)
Other, net..............................................       4,562          1       18,007          1       --
                                                                             --                      --                       --
                                                          ----------             -----------             ------------
Total taxes on income...................................  $   56,410         17  $   336,000         28  $  1,151,713         36
                                                                             --                      --                       --
                                                                             --                      --                       --
                                                          ----------             -----------             ------------
                                                          ----------             -----------             ------------

 
11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
    The   Company  rents   certain  properties  for   temporary  labor  dispatch
operations. The leases generally provide for  termination on 30 days notice  and
upon  payment of three months rent. Certain  of these leases have 1 year minimum
terms and  require additional  payments for  taxes, insurance,  maintenance  and
renewal options. Lease commitments for 1996 at December 31, 1995 total $358,000.
Lease  expenses for  the years ended  December 31,  1993, 1994 and  1995 and the
three months  ended  March  31,  1995 (unaudited)  and  1996  totaled  $162,000,
$380,000, $1,113,000, $198,000, and $396,000, respectively.
 
    The  Company is, from time to time,  involved in various lawsuits arising in
the ordinary course of  business which will not,  in the opinion of  management,
have a material effect on the Company's results of operations.
 
                                      F-16

                               LABOR READY, INC.
             NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
           FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1994, AND 1995 AND
                   FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996
 
                       INFORMATION AT MARCH 31, 1996 AND
             FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996 IS UNAUDITED
 
11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (CONTINUED)
    The Board of Directors entered into an executive employment agreement with a
key  officer of the Company. The agreement is for a period of time commencing on
October 31,  1995, and  ending December  31, 1998,  and which  contains  certain
restrictions  on the covered employee. Officer compensation under this agreement
has been set by the Board at  $375,000 per year and shall be increased  annually
on the first of each calendar year to 110% of the preceding years' salary.
 
12. RETIREMENT PLAN
    Effective October 1, 1994, the Company established a 401(k) savings plan for
qualifying  employees. Employee contributions to the  401(k) plan are matched by
the Company $0.25 for every $1 up to the legal maximum eligible employee's gross
earnings. Employees are eligible the  calendar quarter following the  completion
of  one year of service and are fully vested in the 401(k) plan after five years
of service. The amount charged to  expense under the 401(k) plan totaled  $7,800
and $48,150 for the years ended December 31, 1994 and 1995.
 
13. VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS
    Allowance for doubtful accounts activity was as follows:
 


                                                                                     DECEMBER 31,
                                                                               -------------------------
                                                                                  1994          1995
                                                                               -----------  ------------
                                                                                      
Balance at beginning of year.................................................  $   149,361  $    365,927
Charged to expense...........................................................      341,799     1,084,526
Write-offs, net of recoveries................................................     (125,233)     (581,846)
                                                                               -----------  ------------
Balance at end of year.......................................................  $   365,927  $    868,607
                                                                               -----------  ------------
                                                                               -----------  ------------

 
14. FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
    The  carrying amounts and fair values of the Company's financial instruments
were as follows:
 


                                                                                DECEMBER 31,
                                                           ------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      1994                        1995
                                                           --------------------------  --------------------------
                                                             CARRYING                    CARRYING
                                                              AMOUNT      FAIR VALUE      AMOUNT      FAIR VALUE
                                                           ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
                                                                                         
Cash and cash equivalents................................  $    603,977  $    603,977  $  5,359,113  $  5,359,113
Short-term borrowings....................................     3,160,580     3,160,580     1,591,206     1,591,206
Long-term debt...........................................       322,541       304,248       993,054     1,012,248
Subordinated debt........................................       --            --          8,740,623     8,709,000
Warrants.................................................       --            --            --          1,290,000

 
    The following methods and assumptions were used by the Company in estimating
fair values for financial instruments:
 
    Cash and  cash equivalents:  The  carrying amount  reported in  the  balance
sheets for cash and cash equivalents approximates fair value.
 
    Short-term  borrowings: The  carrying amounts  of the  short-term borrowings
approximates fair value due to the short-term maturity of the debt.
 
                                      F-17

                               LABOR READY, INC.
             NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
           FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1994, AND 1995 AND
                   FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996
 
                       INFORMATION AT MARCH 31, 1996 AND
             FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1996 IS UNAUDITED
 
14. FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (CONTINUED)
    Long-term debt: The fair value of the Company's long-term debt is  estimated
based  on the  quoted market  prices for the  same or  similar issues  or on the
current rates offered to the Company for debt of the same maturities.
 
    Subordinated debt: The fair value of the subordinated debt, representing the
amount at which the debt could be  exchanged on the open market, are  determined
based  on the Company's current incremental  borrowing rate for similar types of
borrowing arrangements.
 
    Warrants: The fair value of the warrants is based on the difference  between
the face value of the related debt and the present value of the future stream of
debt payments.
 
                                      F-18

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
    NO  DEALER,  SALESPERSON OR  OTHER PERSON  HAS BEEN  AUTHORIZED TO  GIVE ANY
INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS AND,
IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS
HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPANY OR THE UNDERWRITERS. THIS PROSPECTUS  DOES
NOT  CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY SECURITIES  OTHER THAN THOSE TO WHICH IT RELATES
OR AN OFFER TO SELL, OR A SOLICITATION OF  AN OFFER TO BUY TO ANY PERSON IN  ANY
JURISDICTION  IN WHICH SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. NEITHER THE
DELIVERY OF THIS PROSPECTUS  NOR ANY OFFER OR  SALE MADE HEREUNDER SHALL,  UNDER
ANY  CIRCUMSTANCES, CREATE ANY IMPLICATION THAT THERE  HAS BEEN NO CHANGE IN THE
AFFAIRS OF THE COMPANY OR THAT THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS CORRECT AS OF
ANY TIME SUBSEQUENT TO THE DATE HEREOF.
 
                            ------------------------
 
                               TABLE OF CONTENTS
 


                                                    PAGE
                                                    -----
                                              
Prospectus Summary.............................           3
Risk Factors...................................           6
Use of Proceeds................................          11
Price Range of Common Stock and Dividend
 Policy........................................          11
Capitalization.................................          12
Selected Consolidated Financial Information....          13
Management's Discussion and Analysis of
 Financial Condition and Results of
 Operations....................................          14
Business.......................................          21
Management.....................................          30
Principal Shareholders.........................          32
Certain Transactions...........................          33
Description of Capital Stock...................          34
Underwriting...................................          36
Legal Matters..................................          36
Experts........................................          37
Available Information..........................          37
Incorporation of Certain Documents By
 Reference.....................................          37
Index to Consolidated Financial Statements.....         F-1

 
                                1,000,000 SHARES
 
                                     [LOGO]
 
                                  COMMON STOCK
 
                             ---------------------
 
                                   PROSPECTUS
 
                             ---------------------
 
                              VAN KASPER & COMPANY
 
                                 JUNE   , 1996
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                    PART II
                     INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
 
ITEM 14. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.
 
    The   following  table  sets  forth  the  costs  and  expenses,  other  than
underwriting discounts and  commissions, payable  by the  Company in  connection
with the sale of Common Stock being registered (all amounts are estimated except
the SEC Registration Fee, the Nasdaq Listing Fee and the NASD Filing Fee):
 
   

                                                             
SEC Registration Fee..........................................  $  13,146
Nasdaq Listing Fee............................................     38,000
NASD Filing Fee...............................................      4,198
Blue Sky Qualification Fees and Expenses (including Legal
 Fees)........................................................     25,000*
Transfer Agent and Registrar Fees.............................      5,000*
Legal Fees and Expenses.......................................    300,000*
Printing Expenses.............................................    100,000*
Auditors' Fees and Expenses...................................     75,000*
Miscellaneous Expenses........................................      3,656*
                                                                ----------
      TOTAL...................................................  $ 564,000
                                                                ----------
                                                                ----------

    
 
- ------------------------
   
*Estimated
    
 
ITEM 15. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
 
    Section  23B.08.510 of the Revised  Code of Washington authorizes Washington
corporations  to   indemnify  their   officers  and   directors  under   certain
circumstances  against expenses  and liabilities  incurred in  legal proceedings
involving such  persons because  of their  being or  having been  an officer  or
director.   The  Company's   Articles  of   Incorporation  and   Bylaws  require
indemnification of the Company's  officers and directors  to the fullest  extent
permitted by Washington law. The Company also maintains directors' and officers'
liability insurance.
 
    The  Company's Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation provide that the Company
shall, to the fullest  extent permitted by  the Washington Business  Corporation
Act,  as amended from time to time,  indemnify all directors and officers of the
Company. In addition, the Company's  Bylaws contain a provision eliminating  the
personal  liability of directors to the Company or its shareholders for monetary
damages arising out of  a breach of fiduciary  duty. Under Washington law,  this
provision  eliminates the liability  of a director for  breach of fiduciary duty
but does not eliminate the  personal liability of any  director for (i) acts  or
omissions  of  a director  finally adjudged  to be  intentional misconduct  or a
knowing violation of law, (ii) conduct finally adjudicated to be in violation of
Section 23B.08.310 of  the Washington  Business Corporation  Act (which  section
relates  to unlawful  distributions) or  (iii) any  transaction with  respect to
which it is finally  adjudged that a director  personally received a benefit  in
money, property or services to which the director was not legally entitled.
 
ITEM 16. EXHIBITS.
 
   


EXHIBIT
  NO.                             DESCRIPTION
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
  1.1* Form of Underwriting Agreement
  5.1* Opinion of Preston Gates & Ellis
 23.1  Consent of BDO Seidman, LLP
 23.2* Consent of Preston Gates & Ellis (contained in Exhibit 5.1)
 24.1* Power of Attorney (see signature page)
 27.1* Financial Data Schedule

    
 
* Filed previously with the Company's Registration Statement No. 333-3183.
 
                                      II-1

ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS
 
    The  undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the Underwriters
at the closing  specified in  the Underwriting Agreements  certificates in  such
denominations  and registered in  such names as required  by the Underwriters to
permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
 
    Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities  Act
may  be  permitted  to  directors,  officers  and  controlling  persons  of  the
registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions or Otherwise, the registrant has
been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission  such
indemnification  is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
is, therefore,  unenforceable. In  the event  that a  claim for  indemnification
against  such liabilities (other than the  payment by the registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the  registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director,  officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled  by controlling  precedent, submit  to a  court of  appropriate
jurisdiction  the question whether such indemnification  by it is against public
policy as  expressed  in  the  Securities  Act  and  will  be  governed  by  the
adjudication of such issue.
 
    The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
 
        (1)  For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act,
    the information omitted from  the form of prospectus  filed as part of  this
    registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of
    prospectus  filed by the  registrant pursuant to  Rule 424(b) (1)  or (4) or
    497(h) under  the  Securities  Act  shall  be deemed  to  be  part  of  this
    registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
 
        (2)  For the purpose  of determining any  liability under the Securities
    Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus  shall
    be  deemed to  be a  new registration  statement relating  to the securities
    offered therein, and the offering of  such securities at that time shall  be
    deemed to be the initial BONA FIDE offering thereof.
 
        (3)  The undersigned registrant hereby  undertakes that, for purposes of
    determining any  liability under  the  Securities Act,  each filing  of  the
    registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the
    Securities  Exchange Act of  1934 (and, where applicable,  each filing of an
    employee benefit  plan's annual  report  pursuant to  section 15(d)  of  the
    Securities  Exchange Act of  1934) that is incorporated  by reference in the
    registration statement shall be  deemed to be  a new registration  statement
    relating  to  the  securities  offered therein,  and  the  offering  of such
    securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial BONA FIDE offering
    thereof.
 
        (4) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause  to
    be  delivered with the prospectus, to each  person to whom the prospectus is
    sent or  given,  the  latest  annual report  to  security  holders  that  is
    incorporated  by reference in  the prospectus and  furnished pursuant to and
    meeting the requirements of  Rule 14a-3 or Rule  14c-3 under the  Securities
    Exchange  Act of 1934; and, where  interim financial information required to
    be presented  by Article  3  of Regulation  S-X are  not  set forth  in  the
    prospectus,  to deliver, or cause to be delivered to each person to whom the
    prospectus  is  sent  or  given,   the  latest  quarterly  report  that   is
    specifically  incorporated by  reference in  the prospectus  to provide such
    interim financial information.
 
                                      II-2

                                   SIGNATURES
 
   
    Pursuant  to the requirements of the  Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has  reasonable grounds to  believe that it  meets all of  the
requirements  for filing on Form S-3 and has duly authorized and has duly caused
this Amendment  to Registration  Statement to  be signed  on its  behalf by  the
undersigned,  thereunto  duly  authorized  in  the  City  of  Tacoma,  State  of
Washington on this 12th day of June, 1996.
    
 
                                          LABOR READY, INC.
 
                                          By         /s/ GLENN A. WELSTAD
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                          Glenn A. Welstad
                                                    CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE
                                          OFFICER
 
   
PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS  OF THE SECURITIES ACT  OF 1933, THIS AMENDMENT  TO
REGISTRATION  STATEMENT HAS BEEN SIGNED BELOW ON  JUNE 12, 1996 BY THE FOLLOWING
PERSONS IN THE CAPACITIES INDICATED.
    
 
   


                      SIGNATURE                                                   TITLE
- ------------------------------------------------------  ---------------------------------------------------------
 
                                                     
                      /s/ GLENN A. WELSTAD              Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal
     -------------------------------------------         Executive Officer)
                   Glenn A. Welstad
 
                      /s/ RALPH E. PETERSON             Chief Financial Officer and Director (Principal Financial
     -------------------------------------------         and Accounting Officer)
                  Ralph E. Peterson
 
                     /s/ ROBERT J. SULLIVAN
     -------------------------------------------        Director
                  Robert J. Sullivan
 
                    /s/ THOMAS E. MCCHESNEY
     -------------------------------------------        Director
                 Thomas E. McChesney
 
                       /s/ RONALD L. JUNCK
     -------------------------------------------        Secretary and Director
                   Ronald L. Junck

    
 
                                      II-3

                                 EXHIBIT INDEX
 
   


 EXHIBIT
   NO.      DESCRIPTION
- ----------  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         
      1.1*  Form of Underwriting Agreement
      5.1*  Opinion of Preston Gates & Ellis
     23.1   Consent of BDO Seidman, LLP
     23.2*  Consent of Preston Gates & Ellis (contained in Exhibit 5.1)
     24.1*  Power of Attorney (see signature page)
     27.1*  Financial Data Schedule

    
 
- ------------------------
* Filed previously with the Company's Registration Statement No. 333-3183.