California Layoffs — August 2021
Employers in California reported 67 WARN Act notices in August 2021, displacing an estimated 5,488 workers — signaling an acceleration from July and down 63% versus August 2020. The average filing covered 82 workers, with 46 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 18 | 1,369 |
| Utilities | 7 | 995 |
| Information & Technology | 4 | 731 |
| Healthcare | 9 | 473 |
| Finance & Insurance | 7 | 395 |
| Accommodation & Food | 3 | 299 |
| Transportation | 2 | 217 |
| Retail | 3 | 132 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,369 workers across 18 notices. Notably, Utilities reported 995 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kern | 6 | 1,000 |
| Los Angeles | 8 | 798 |
| San Diego | 8 | 664 |
| San Bernardino | 6 | 462 |
| Orange | 4 | 452 |
Kern absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 18% of all affected workers with 1,000 workers across 6 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | 7 | 1,098 |
| Long Beach | 3 | 356 |
| Roseville | 1 | 308 |
| San Diego | 2 | 306 |
| Lake Forest | 2 | 295 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 45 | 3,960 |
| Layoff | 20 | 1,350 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 110 |
| Temporary Layoff | 1 | 68 |
The high proportion of closures (74% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Energy Services | Bakersfield | 393 | Closure | |
| ESL Technologies, Inc. DBA Teleplan | Roseville | 308 | Layoff | |
| GEO Secure Services LLC Western Region Detention Facility | San Diego | 298 | Closure | |
| State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance | Bakersfield | 230 | Closure | |
| Fox Factory | Watsonville | 222 | Closure | |
| Panasonic Avionics | Lake Forest | 221 | Layoff | |
| Basic Energy Services | Bakersfield | 216 | Closure | |
| Amazon | Los Angeles | 161 | Closure | |
| Peloton Interactive | Long Beach | 123 | Layoff | |
| Snugtop | 123 | Closure | ||
| Peloton Interactive | Richmond | 123 | Layoff | |
| Truck Accessories Group LLC and Customer Fiberglass Manufacturing Co. DBA SNUGTOP | Long Beach | 123 | Closure | |
| Flying Food Group | Inglewood | 119 | Layoff | |
| Flying Food Group | San Francisco | 119 | Layoff | |
| Basic Energy Services | Bakersfield | 111 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Basic Energy Services at its Bakersfield facility, reporting 393 affected workers. ESL Technologies, Inc. DBA Teleplan followed with 308 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for California's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. 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.