California Layoffs — October 2016

Employers in California reported 90 WARN Act notices in October 2016, displacing an estimated 8,534 workers — signaling an acceleration from September and down 22% versus October 2015. The average filing covered 95 workers, with 45 closures among the notices.

90
Notices Filed
8,534
Workers Affected
95
Avg per Notice
45
Closures

Industry Breakdown

IndustryNoticesWorkers
Manufacturing61,359
Transportation3729
Information & Technology2396
Accommodation & Food3266
Healthcare8184
Retail2174
Construction1106
Agriculture197

The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,359 workers across 6 notices. Notably, Transportation reported 729 workers.

Geographic Hotspots

CountyNoticesWorkers
Los Angeles152,715
San Diego101,370
Orange101,188
Alameda5634
San Bernardino4487

Los Angeles felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 32% of all affected workers with 2,715 workers across 15 notices.

CityNoticesWorkers
Azusa21,294
Los Angeles71,274
San Diego61,074
Anaheim4816
Santa Barbara2396

Layoff Type Analysis

TypeNoticesWorkers
Closure444,825
Layoff443,587
Temporary Layoff178
Temporary Closure144

The high proportion of closures (57% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.

Largest Layoffs

CompanyCityWorkersTypeDate
National Steel and ShipbuildingSan Diego844Layoff2016-10-21
TreeHouse Private Brands, IncAzusa647Closure2016-10-05
TreeHouse Private Brands, IncAzusa647Closure2016-10-11
ShireLos Angeles360Layoff2016-10-17
ShireLos Angeles360Layoff2016-10-19
First TransitAnaheim319Closure2016-10-01
First TransitAnaheim319Closure2016-10-06
KmartLos Angeles234Closure2016-10-03
Legacy Supply Chain ServicesFontana220Closure2016-10-24
Channel Technologies Group LLCSanta Barbara198Closure2016-10-17
Channel Technologies Group LLCSanta Barbara198Closure2016-10-18
Associated Third Party AdministratorsAlameda192Closure2016-10-18
Associated Third Party AdministratorsAlameda192Closure2016-10-21
Ricoh Electronics, IncTustin147Layoff2016-10-24
KmartFontana133Closure2016-10-03

The most significant filing came from National Steel and Shipbuilding at its San Diego facility, reporting 844 affected workers. TreeHouse Private Brands, Inc followed with 647 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 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.

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