California Layoffs — October 2019
Employers in California reported 57 WARN Act notices in October 2019, displacing an estimated 5,163 workers — signaling a deceleration from September and down 41% versus October 2018. The average filing covered 91 workers, with 34 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 23 | 1,830 |
| Education | 2 | 664 |
| Accommodation & Food | 7 | 563 |
| Finance & Insurance | 2 | 411 |
| Transportation | 6 | 347 |
| Retail | 3 | 279 |
| Information & Technology | 5 | 267 |
| Construction | 3 | 211 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,830 workers across 23 notices. Notably, Education reported 664 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 11 | 920 |
| Los Angeles | 13 | 702 |
| Riverside | 3 | 640 |
| Kern | 2 | 439 |
| Contra Costa | 2 | 407 |
San Diego felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 18% of all affected workers with 920 workers across 11 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Corona | 3 | 640 |
| San Diego | 6 | 366 |
| Concord | 1 | 357 |
| Taft | 1 | 344 |
| Chico | 1 | 320 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 34 | 2,919 |
| Layoff | 23 | 2,244 |
The high proportion of closures (57% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal Structures | Corona | 400 | Closure | |
| Wells Fargo | Concord | 357 | Layoff | |
| Management & Training Coporation | Taft | 344 | Closure | |
| Lifetouch National School Studios | Chico | 320 | Closure | |
| Jabil | San Jose | 197 | Closure | |
| Amgen | Thousand Oaks | 172 | Layoff | |
| LuLaRoe | Corona | 167 | Layoff | |
| Hotel Del Coronado, Curio Collection By Hilton Worldwide | Coronado | 160 | Layoff | |
| Contract Management Services | National City | 140 | Layoff | |
| Communications Test Design | Lincoln | 128 | Layoff | |
| Tobinworld | Glendale | 115 | Closure | |
| Walmart | Sacramento | 108 | Closure | |
| Charter Communications | Culver City | 105 | Layoff | |
| Olam West Coast | Woodland | 102 | Closure | |
| The Hotel Karlan | San Diego | 101 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Thermal Structures at its Corona facility, reporting 400 affected workers. Wells Fargo followed with 357 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The numbers illustrate 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.