California Layoffs — September 2025
Employers in California submitted 109 WARN Act notices in September 2025, putting at risk an estimated 7,404 workers — up substantially from August and down 9% versus September 2024. The average filing covered 68 workers, with 25 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale Trade | 4 | 1,238 |
| Healthcare | 26 | 604 |
| Manufacturing | 5 | 597 |
| Education | 11 | 542 |
| Retail | 5 | 388 |
| Professional Services | 15 | 370 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 3 | 353 |
| Government | 5 | 335 |
The Wholesale Trade sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 1,238 workers across 4 notices. Separately, Healthcare reported 604 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 27 | 1,661 |
| Kern | 5 | 1,220 |
| Riverside | 8 | 1,063 |
| Santa Clara | 19 | 792 |
| Tulare | 4 | 596 |
Los Angeles was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 22% of all affected workers with 1,661 workers across 27 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | 3 | 1,128 |
| Los Angeles | 9 | 566 |
| Corona | 1 | 447 |
| Lake Forest | 1 | 393 |
| Redwood City | 4 | 332 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 37 | 2,277 |
| Closure | 25 | 1,610 |
Closures accounted for 22% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream | Bakersfield | 726 | Layoff | |
| Thermal Structures | Corona | 447 | Closure | |
| Jabil | Lake Forest | 393 | ||
| Salesforce | San Francisco | 262 | ||
| Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream's | Bakersfield | 214 | Closure | |
| Randstad Inhouse Services | Van Nuys | 214 | ||
| Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream | Bakersfield | 188 | ||
| Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream | E. Continental Tulare | 188 | Layoff | |
| Oracle America | Redwood City | 187 | ||
| Six Flags Entertainment | Santa Clara | 184 | Layoff | |
| rPlanet Earth Los Angeles | 178 | |||
| University of Southern California (Health Sciences Campus) | Los Angeles | 151 | Layoff | |
| Essendant | Whittier | 146 | ||
| City of Hope | Irwindale | 140 | ||
| City of Hope | Baldwin Park | 140 | Layoff |
Topping the list was Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream at its Bakersfield facility, reporting 726 affected workers. Thermal Structures followed with 447 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 Wholesale Trade 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.