California Layoffs — January 2018
Employers in California submitted 71 WARN Act notices in January 2018, putting at risk an estimated 7,268 workers — up substantially from December and up 4% versus January 2017. The average filing covered 102 workers, with 41 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 21 | 2,001 |
| Healthcare | 13 | 1,860 |
| Manufacturing | 18 | 1,584 |
| Information & Technology | 8 | 885 |
| Construction | 3 | 324 |
| Transportation | 2 | 260 |
| Accommodation & Food | 4 | 257 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 88 |
The Retail sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 2,001 workers across 21 notices. Separately, Healthcare reported 1,860 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 19 | 1,912 |
| Orange | 11 | 1,003 |
| Santa Clara | 6 | 566 |
| Sacramento | 2 | 521 |
| Fresno | 5 | 451 |
Los Angeles saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 26% of all affected workers with 1,912 workers across 19 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento | 2 | 521 |
| Irvine | 3 | 470 |
| Monterey Park | 2 | 373 |
| San Jose | 3 | 332 |
| Fresno | 3 | 327 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 41 | 4,215 |
| Layoff | 30 | 3,053 |
The high proportion of closures (58% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allergan | Irvine | 421 | Layoff | |
| Walmart (#5230) | Sacramento | 359 | Closure | |
| SynerMed | Monterey Park | 275 | Layoff | |
| Brinderson | Wilmington | 256 | Layoff | |
| Adventist Health Corporate | Roseville | 229 | Layoff | |
| Adventist Health (Hanford) | Hanford | 205 | Layoff | |
| Adventist Health St. Helena | Saint Helena | 200 | Layoff | |
| Macy's | San Francisco | 197 | Closure | |
| CEVA Logistics | San Jose | 197 | Closure | |
| Aurora Vista Del Mar, LLC (Hospital) | Ventura | 194 | Layoff | |
| ABM Industry Groups | Fresno | 189 | Closure | |
| Zodiac Seats California | Rancho | 186 | Closure | |
| Sams Club (#6625) | San Fernando | 178 | Closure | |
| Absolute Screenprint | Brea | 170 | Closure | |
| Adventist Health Glendale | Glendale | 167 | Closure |
Topping the list was Allergan at its Irvine facility, reporting 421 affected workers. Walmart (#5230) followed with 359 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight mounting pressure on the California labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Retail 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.