California Layoffs — April 2017
Employers in California filed 74 WARN Act notices in April 2017, impacting roughly 4,937 workers — representing a pullback from March and down 6% versus April 2016. The average filing covered 67 workers, with 43 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 22 | 1,650 |
| Transportation | 4 | 1,058 |
| Information & Technology | 7 | 515 |
| Retail | 16 | 379 |
| Healthcare | 8 | 283 |
| Accommodation & Food | 2 | 144 |
| Construction | 2 | 114 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 61 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 1,650 workers across 22 notices. In a parallel development, Transportation reported 1,058 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 14 | 1,364 |
| San Diego | 3 | 660 |
| Ventura | 3 | 602 |
| Santa Clara | 9 | 513 |
| Orange | 13 | 459 |
Los Angeles was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 28% of all affected workers with 1,364 workers across 14 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Oceanside | 1 | 538 |
| Thousand Oaks | 1 | 494 |
| Pomona | 1 | 372 |
| Carson | 2 | 341 |
| San Jose | 3 | 308 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 43 | 3,200 |
| Layoff | 31 | 1,737 |
The high proportion of closures (65% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Transit | Oceanside | 538 | Closure | |
| Amgen | Thousand Oaks | 494 | Layoff | |
| First Transit | Pomona | 372 | Closure | |
| Western Tube and Conduit | Carson | 236 | Closure | |
| Transdev Services | Modesto | 138 | Closure | |
| Sodexo | Davis | 136 | Closure | |
| Advanced Call Center Technologies | North Highlands | 135 | Layoff | |
| Western Digital Technology | San Jose | 131 | Layoff | |
| Zazzle | San Jose | 117 | Closure | |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation Rotary & | San Diego | 117 | Closure | |
| Mastec North America | Hayward | 109 | Closure | |
| Sears, Roebuck and | Carson | 105 | Closure | |
| CEVA Logistics | Mira Loma | 99 | Layoff | |
| Meadowbrook Meat | Pleasanton | 92 | Closure | |
| BlackTalon Enterprises | Napa | 90 | Closure |
The single largest action involved First Transit at its Oceanside facility, reporting 538 affected workers. Amgen followed with 494 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores a easing in workforce disruptions across California, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Manufacturing 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.