California Layoffs — January 2026

Employers in California recorded 155 WARN Act notices in January 2026, covering approximately 11,473 workers — marking a sharp increase from December and up 59% versus January 2025. The average filing covered 74 workers, with 12 closures among the notices.

Industry Breakdown

The Retail sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 5,527 workers across 62 notices. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 1,726 workers.

Geographic Hotspots

Los Angeles saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 29% of all affected workers with 3,273 workers across 31 notices.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 9% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.

Largest Layoffs

Leading the list was Valero Refining at its Benicia facility, reporting 237 affected workers. Local Initiative Health Authority for Los Angeles County dba L.A. Care Health Plan followed with 225 workers.

Trend & Outlook

After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.

The filings reflect mounting pressure on the California labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. 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.