California Layoffs — May 2019
Employers in California posted 98 WARN Act notices in May 2019, affecting an estimated 6,141 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to April and up 3% versus May 2018. The average filing covered 63 workers, with 67 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 25 | 1,817 |
| Healthcare | 22 | 816 |
| Retail | 7 | 753 |
| Information & Technology | 7 | 495 |
| Agriculture | 7 | 457 |
| Transportation | 5 | 428 |
| Mining & Energy | 6 | 337 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 3 | 242 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 1,817 workers across 25 notices. On a related front, Healthcare reported 816 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 37 | 2,140 |
| Alameda | 7 | 715 |
| Santa Clara | 9 | 691 |
| San Joaquin | 5 | 424 |
| Riverside | 8 | 399 |
Los Angeles was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 35% of all affected workers with 2,140 workers across 37 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Palmdale | 4 | 293 |
| Santa Clara | 3 | 286 |
| San Diego | 3 | 269 |
| Alameda | 2 | 265 |
| Los Angeles | 5 | 261 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 67 | 4,413 |
| Layoff | 31 | 1,728 |
The high proportion of closures (72% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Mesa Farms | Santa Maria | 236 | Closure | |
| Anka Behavioral Health | Concord | 214 | Closure | |
| VF Outdoor | Alameda | 213 | Closure | |
| Security Industry Specialists | Sunnyvale | 196 | Layoff | |
| Z Gallerie | Gardena | 196 | Layoff | |
| Anki | San Francisco | 170 | Closure | |
| Hayward Industries | Pomona | 168 | Closure | |
| FTD Companies | San Diego | 167 | Closure | |
| Loot Crate | Vernon | 150 | Closure | |
| Masonite | Stockton | 150 | Closure | |
| Ryder | Moreno Valley | 142 | Closure | |
| Green Coast Management | Oakland | 136 | Layoff | |
| First Student | Palmdale | 133 | Closure | |
| Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services | Santa Clara | 129 | Closure | |
| MapR Technologies | Santa Clara | 122 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Rio Mesa Farms at its Santa Maria facility, reporting 236 affected workers. Anka Behavioral Health followed with 214 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The trends suggest 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.