California Layoffs — August 2017
Employers in California logged 46 WARN Act notices in August 2017, involving roughly 4,256 workers — climbing above July and down 36% versus August 2016. The average filing covered 93 workers, with 28 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 19 | 2,376 |
| Construction | 6 | 487 |
| Transportation | 3 | 403 |
| Information & Technology | 5 | 296 |
| Utilities | 3 | 221 |
| Retail | 2 | 171 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 91 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 68 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 2,376 workers across 19 notices. Meanwhile, Construction reported 487 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 15 | 1,898 |
| Santa Cruz | 1 | 402 |
| San Mateo | 1 | 260 |
| Santa Clara | 5 | 226 |
| Alameda | 4 | 219 |
Los Angeles felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 45% of all affected workers with 1,898 workers across 15 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Glendale | 1 | 498 |
| Hacienda | 1 | 402 |
| Watsonville | 1 | 402 |
| San Francisco | 2 | 304 |
| El Segundo | 2 | 215 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 28 | 2,950 |
| Layoff | 18 | 1,306 |
The high proportion of closures (69% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nestle | Glendale | 498 | Closure | |
| Quest Nutrition | Hacienda | 402 | Closure | |
| Dole Food | Watsonville | 402 | Closure | |
| Menzies Aviation | San Francisco | 260 | Layoff | |
| Brinderson | El Segundo | 204 | Closure | |
| Dole Food Company, Inc. (Dole Berry | Oxnard | 172 | Closure | |
| MSE Technologies | Van Nuys | 155 | Layoff | |
| SolarCity | Roseville | 141 | Layoff | |
| Ryder Systems | Stockton | 140 | Layoff | |
| Quest Nutrition | Walnut | 122 | Closure | |
| Irwin Industries, Inc. (AECOM) | Long Beach | 120 | Closure | |
| Daiso California | Hayward | 98 | Closure | |
| Brocade Communications Systems | San Jose | 96 | Layoff | |
| Euromotors Concord Inc. DBA Audi Concord | Concord | 83 | Closure | |
| Jacobs Technology | Edwards | 80 | Closure |
The biggest impact was at Nestle at its Glendale facility, reporting 498 affected workers. Quest Nutrition followed with 402 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to 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.