California Layoffs — December 2015
Employers in California filed 70 WARN Act notices in December 2015, impacting roughly 8,945 workers — representing a notable rise over November and up 62% versus December 2014. The average filing covered 128 workers, with 41 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 4 | 2,713 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 2,551 |
| Manufacturing | 16 | 902 |
| Construction | 4 | 329 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 265 |
| Information & Technology | 4 | 231 |
| Transportation | 3 | 186 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 161 |
The Accommodation & Food sector led the way in workforce reductions with 2,713 workers across 4 notices. In a parallel development, Agriculture reported 2,551 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Fresno | 4 | 2,702 |
| Mariposa | 1 | 1,718 |
| Los Angeles | 13 | 1,638 |
| Orange | 9 | 637 |
| Kern | 5 | 432 |
Fresno bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 30% of all affected workers with 2,702 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kerman | 1 | 2,551 |
| Yosemite National | 1 | 1,718 |
| Los Angeles | 4 | 1,204 |
| Bakersfield | 3 | 288 |
| Anaheim | 1 | 197 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 40 | 7,422 |
| Layoff | 29 | 1,478 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 45 |
The high proportion of closures (83% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerawan Farming | Kerman | 2,551 | Closure | |
| DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite | Yosemite National | 1,718 | Closure | |
| Hyatt Regency Century Plaza | Los Angeles | 796 | Closure | |
| Hudsloan Enterprises | Los Angeles | 265 | Closure | |
| Parker Hannifin | Anaheim | 197 | Closure | |
| Balda C. Brewer | Irvine | 193 | Closure | |
| C&J Well Services | Bakersfield | 161 | Layoff | |
| Abbott Vascular | Redwood City | 160 | Closure | |
| Le Cordon Bleu North America | Pasadena | 126 | Closure | |
| Alta Resources | Brea | 121 | Layoff | |
| El Dorado Hotel and Kitchen | Sonoma | 113 | Closure | |
| KVS Transportation | Bakersfield | 111 | Layoff | |
| AT&T | San Ramon | 102 | Layoff | |
| Brinderson, L.P | San Ardo | 101 | Closure | |
| CommScope | San Jose | 90 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Gerawan Farming at its Kerman facility, reporting 2,551 affected workers. DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite followed with 1,718 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the California labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Accommodation & Food sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by California. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all California WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.