Employers in California reported 549 WARN Act notices in December 2020, displacing an estimated 16,038 workers — signaling a deceleration from November and up 555% versus December 2019. The average filing covered 29 workers, with 23 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 132 | 3,506 |
| Transportation | 25 | 2,660 |
| Healthcare | 16 | 267 |
| Education | 6 | 198 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 4 | 153 |
| Information & Technology | 3 | 91 |
| Mining & Energy | 16 | 59 |
| Retail | 5 | 47 |
The Accommodation & Food sector topped the list of affected industries with 3,506 workers across 132 notices. Notably, Transportation reported 2,660 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 42 | 4,826 |
| Los Angeles | 52 | 3,511 |
| Santa Clara | 21 | 1,403 |
| Sacramento | 20 | 1,051 |
| Alameda | 5 | 744 |
San Diego bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 30% of all affected workers with 4,826 workers across 42 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 11 | 3,950 |
| Los Angeles | 6 | 1,043 |
| San Jose | 11 | 924 |
| San Francisco | 7 | 611 |
| Oakland | 3 | 588 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 93 | 10,554 |
| Closure | 23 | 2,129 |
Closures accounted for 13% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoological Society of San Diego dba San Diego Zoo Global | San Diego | 1,690 | Layoff | 2020-12-02 |
| SeaWorld | San Diego | 827 | Layoff | 2020-12-31 |
| LAZ Parking California, LLC | San Diego | 657 | 2020-12-22 | |
| Southwest Airlines - Los Angeles International Airport | Los Angeles | 632 | Layoff | 2020-12-07 |
| Southwest Airlines - Metropolitan Oakland International Airport | Oakland | 573 | Layoff | 2020-12-07 |
| Ocean's 11 Casino | Oceanside | 360 | Closure | 2020-12-23 |
| Southwest Airlines - San Diego International Airport | San Diego | 358 | Layoff | 2020-12-11 |
| LTF Club Management Company, LLC dba Life Time In Roseville | Roseville | 333 | Closure | 2020-12-22 |
| Crystal Casino | Compton | 295 | Layoff | 2020-12-17 |
| Southwest Airlines - Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport | San Jose | 285 | Layoff | 2020-12-11 |
| Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort | Solvang | 252 | Layoff | 2020-12-17 |
| Stones South Bay Corp. dba Seven Mile Casino | Chula Vista | 250 | Layoff | 2020-12-18 |
| LDD Long Point Management LLC | Rancho Palos Verdes | 232 | 2020-12-18 | |
| Crescent Hotels & Resort, LLC - Four Points by Sheraton LAX | Los Angeles | 214 | Closure | 2020-12-21 |
| Southwest Airlines - Sacramento International Airport | Sacramento | 208 | Layoff | 2020-12-11 |
The most significant filing came from Zoological Society of San Diego dba San Diego Zoo Global at its San Diego facility, reporting 1,690 affected workers. SeaWorld followed with 827 workers.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for California's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Accommodation & Food 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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