California Layoffs — December 2021
Employers in California submitted 100 WARN Act notices in December 2021, putting at risk an estimated 4,607 workers — up substantially from November and down 74% versus December 2020. The average filing covered 46 workers, with 42 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 45 | 1,210 |
| Information & Technology | 8 | 1,002 |
| Manufacturing | 16 | 966 |
| Healthcare | 10 | 402 |
| Professional Services | 11 | 335 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 304 |
| Transportation | 4 | 156 |
| Retail | 3 | 124 |
The Accommodation & Food sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 1,210 workers across 45 notices. Separately, Information & Technology reported 1,002 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 16 | 1,122 |
| Orange | 15 | 611 |
| Contra Costa | 5 | 464 |
| San Bernardino | 10 | 387 |
| San Diego | 14 | 328 |
Los Angeles bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 24% of all affected workers with 1,122 workers across 16 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburg | 4 | 478 |
| Los Angeles | 7 | 452 |
| Perris | 1 | 304 |
| Irvine | 7 | 251 |
| Fresno | 6 | 216 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 42 | 2,887 |
| Layoff | 49 | 1,449 |
| Temporary Layoff | 1 | 74 |
The high proportion of closures (63% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMC West | Perris | 304 | Closure | |
| ESL Technologies Inc. DBA Teleplan | Roseville | 197 | Closure | |
| Boston Scientific | San Jose | 170 | Closure | |
| Angelica | Orange | 169 | Closure | |
| Angelica | Fresno | 161 | Closure | |
| Angelica | Pittsburg | 148 | Closure | |
| Emerald Textiles | Pittsburg | 145 | Closure | |
| Angelica | Los Angeles | 125 | Closure | |
| Sunrider | Torrance | 118 | Closure | |
| Angelica | Pittsburg | 117 | Closure | |
| Angelica | Sacramento | 117 | Closure | |
| Med-Legal | Hayward | 113 | Closure | |
| Med-Legal | San Dimas | 113 | Closure | |
| Seal Science | Irvine | 78 | Closure | |
| Cookies Los Angeles | Los Angeles | 78 | Layoff |
Topping the list was BMC West at its Perris facility, reporting 304 affected workers. ESL Technologies Inc. DBA Teleplan followed with 197 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight a mixed picture for California's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Accommodation & Food 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.