California Layoffs — February 2019
Employers in California reported 79 WARN Act notices in February 2019, displacing an estimated 5,286 workers — signaling a deceleration from January and up 52% versus February 2018. The average filing covered 67 workers, with 34 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 4 | 919 |
| Manufacturing | 14 | 808 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 4 | 672 |
| Healthcare | 20 | 629 |
| Information & Technology | 7 | 517 |
| Finance & Insurance | 13 | 424 |
| Accommodation & Food | 4 | 358 |
| Professional Services | 7 | 354 |
The Transportation sector topped the list of affected industries with 919 workers across 4 notices. Notably, Manufacturing reported 808 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 18 | 953 |
| Riverside | 5 | 699 |
| San Francisco | 9 | 541 |
| San Bernardino | 5 | 415 |
| Solano | 2 | 405 |
Los Angeles absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 18% of all affected workers with 953 workers across 18 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 9 | 541 |
| Moreno Valley | 1 | 510 |
| Dixon | 1 | 356 |
| Ontario | 3 | 300 |
| Hayward | 1 | 269 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 34 | 2,690 |
| Layoff | 45 | 2,596 |
The high proportion of closures (51% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schenker | Moreno Valley | 510 | Closure | |
| Gymboree Group | Dixon | 356 | Layoff | |
| CEVA Logistics | Hayward | 269 | Closure | |
| The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe | Truckee | 244 | Closure | |
| Wesco Aircraft Hardware | Valencia | 217 | Closure | |
| Eagle Business Performance Services | Bellflower | 211 | Layoff | |
| Blizzard Entertainment | Irvine | 209 | Layoff | |
| Apple | Santa Clara | 190 | Layoff | |
| Crocs | Ontario | 183 | Closure | |
| Kern Radiology Imaging Systems | Bakersfield | 173 | Layoff | |
| Molina Healthcare | Long Beach | 169 | Layoff | |
| Charlotte Russe | San Francisco | 161 | Closure | |
| Bold Guarding | San Francisco | 151 | Closure | |
| Bank of America | Simi Valley | 124 | Layoff | |
| eBay | San Jose | 118 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from Schenker at its Moreno Valley facility, reporting 510 affected workers. Gymboree Group followed with 356 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for California's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Transportation 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.