California Layoffs — January 2025
Employers in California reported 115 WARN Act notices in January 2025, displacing an estimated 7,223 workers — signaling an acceleration from December and down 55% versus January 2024. The average filing covered 63 workers, with 62 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 39 | 2,629 |
| Manufacturing | 24 | 1,952 |
| Information & Technology | 18 | 666 |
| Healthcare | 11 | 249 |
| Professional Services | 4 | 222 |
| Accommodation & Food | 3 | 184 |
| Transportation | 3 | 173 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3 | 135 |
The Retail sector topped the list of affected industries with 2,629 workers across 39 notices. Notably, Manufacturing reported 1,952 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 27 | 1,184 |
| Orange | 13 | 1,139 |
| Alameda | 18 | 930 |
| San Bernardino | 3 | 851 |
| Sacramento | 9 | 537 |
Los Angeles was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 16% of all affected workers with 1,184 workers across 27 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 20 | 1,111 |
| Irvine | 7 | 796 |
| San Bernardino | 1 | 690 |
| Turlock | 3 | 512 |
| Kingsburg | 1 | 378 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 61 | 4,834 |
| Layoff | 52 | 1,993 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 375 |
The high proportion of closures (72% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kohl's | San Bernardino | 690 | Closure | |
| Foster Farms | Turlock | 478 | Closure | |
| Del Monte Foods | Kingsburg | 378 | Closure | |
| Michael Nicholas Designs | Irvine | 375 | Temporary Closure | |
| Liberated Brands | Irvine | 362 | Closure | |
| Joann Stores Support Center | Visalia | 209 | Closure | |
| Pasadena Park Healthcare & Wellness Center | Pasadena | 151 | Closure | |
| Rich Products | Fresno | 139 | Closure | |
| Safeway | Pleasanton | 138 | Layoff | |
| Columbus Manufacturing, Inc., awholly-ownedsubsidiaryofthe Hormel Foods Corporation | Columbus | 125 | Layoff | |
| Columbus Manufacturing, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hormel Foods | Hayward | 125 | Layoff | |
| Surveillance Security Inc.of Unarmed Security Guards | Los Angeles | 122 | Layoff | |
| Chedraui USA | Ontario | 115 | Layoff | |
| IGM Biosciences | Middlefield Road Mountain View | 100 | Layoff | |
| Macy's | Los Angeles | 98 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Kohl's at its San Bernardino facility, reporting 690 affected workers. Foster Farms followed with 478 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 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.