California Layoffs — February 2023

Employers in California recorded 146 WARN Act notices in February 2023, covering approximately 12,305 workers — marking a decline from January and up 567% versus February 2022. The average filing covered 84 workers, with 30 closures among the notices.

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 3,237 workers across 33 notices. At the same time, Information & Technology reported 2,651 workers.

Geographic Hotspots

Los Angeles bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 19% of all affected workers with 2,301 workers across 27 notices.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 31% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.

Largest Layoffs

Leading the list was Sorrento Therapeutics at its San Diego facility, reporting 538 affected workers. Markstein Beverage followed with 503 workers.

Trend & Outlook

The filings reflect 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.