California Layoffs — December 2009
Employers in California reported 85 WARN Act notices in December 2009, displacing an estimated 3,897 workers — signaling a deceleration from November. The average filing covered 46 workers, with 0 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 19 | 1,439 |
| Retail | 5 | 594 |
| Information & Technology | 19 | 578 |
| Transportation | 4 | 302 |
| Finance & Insurance | 15 | 226 |
| Professional Services | 11 | 202 |
| Accommodation & Food | 5 | 178 |
| Government | 3 | 173 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,439 workers across 19 notices. Notably, Retail reported 594 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Contra Costa | 13 | 890 |
| Orange | 22 | 599 |
| Los Angeles | 16 | 541 |
| Santa Clara | 7 | 334 |
| Santa Cruz | 1 | 325 |
Contra Costa absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 23% of all affected workers with 890 workers across 13 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburg | 1 | 827 |
| Watsonville | 1 | 325 |
| Los Angeles | 3 | 205 |
| Irvine | 5 | 134 |
| San Francisco | 3 | 128 |
Layoff Type Analysis
Layoff type classification was not available for filings in California this month.
Largest Layoffs
The most significant filing came from Uss-Posco Industries at its Pittsburg facility, reporting 827 affected workers. West Marine Products followed with 325 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate 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.