California Layoffs — March 2017
Employers in California posted 68 WARN Act notices in March 2017, affecting an estimated 5,221 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to February and down 6% versus March 2016. The average filing covered 77 workers, with 38 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 4 | 1,264 |
| Information & Technology | 8 | 1,115 |
| Manufacturing | 9 | 732 |
| Retail | 21 | 567 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 100 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 86 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 85 |
| Construction | 2 | 74 |
The Healthcare sector saw the heaviest impact with 1,264 workers across 4 notices. On a related front, Information & Technology reported 1,115 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 17 | 1,011 |
| Orange | 9 | 972 |
| San Bernardino | 4 | 805 |
| Santa Clara | 13 | 512 |
| Alameda | 2 | 473 |
Los Angeles absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 19% of all affected workers with 1,011 workers across 17 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Leandro | 1 | 465 |
| Fountain Valley | 1 | 465 |
| Fort Irwin | 1 | 462 |
| San Diego | 5 | 433 |
| Los Angeles | 4 | 325 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 38 | 2,775 |
| Layoff | 30 | 2,446 |
The high proportion of closures (53% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paramedics Plus | San Leandro | 465 | Closure | |
| North Coast Rehab | Fountain Valley | 465 | Closure | |
| Northrop Grumman Technology | Fort Irwin | 462 | Layoff | |
| Quantum Health, Inc. d/b/a Promise | San Diego | 257 | Closure | |
| Diamond Foods | Stockton | 240 | Layoff | |
| The Nature's Bounty | Garden Grove | 213 | Closure | |
| Meadowbrook Meat | Ontario | 171 | Closure | |
| bebe stores | Los Angeles | 160 | Closure | |
| Beachbody | Santa Monica | 142 | Layoff | |
| bebe stores | Brisbane | 136 | Closure | |
| Hitachi Data Systems | Santa Clara | 118 | Layoff | |
| BCBG Max Azria Group | Vernon | 116 | Layoff | |
| Cisco Systems | San Jose | 115 | Layoff | |
| Coca-Cola Refreshments | San Diego | 102 | Layoff | |
| Stagecoach Vineyards | Napa | 100 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Paramedics Plus at its San Leandro facility, reporting 465 affected workers. North Coast Rehab followed with 465 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for California's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Healthcare 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.