Employers in California reported 95 WARN Act notices in August 2021, displacing an estimated 8,357 workers — signaling an acceleration from July and down 73% versus August 2020. The average filing covered 88 workers, with 66 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 12 | 1,794 |
| Manufacturing | 11 | 1,148 |
| Information & Technology | 4 | 741 |
| Finance & Insurance | 4 | 616 |
| Healthcare | 10 | 562 |
| Transportation | 5 | 448 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 2 | 180 |
| Retail | 2 | 82 |
The Utilities sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,794 workers across 12 notices. Notably, Manufacturing reported 1,148 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kern | 12 | 2,000 |
| Los Angeles | 14 | 1,187 |
| San Diego | 11 | 1,062 |
| Orange | 7 | 661 |
| Placer | 2 | 616 |
Kern absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 24% of all affected workers with 2,000 workers across 12 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | 6 | 1,000 |
| Los Angeles | 2 | 322 |
| Roseville | 1 | 308 |
| San Diego | 2 | 306 |
| Irvine | 4 | 266 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 65 | 6,341 |
| Layoff | 29 | 1,906 |
| Temporary Closure | 1 | 110 |
The high proportion of closures (77% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Energy Services, Inc | 393 | Closure | 2021-08-17 | |
| Basic Energy Services, Inc | Bakersfield | 393 | Closure | 2021-08-24 |
| ESL Technologies, Inc. dba Teleplan | 308 | Layoff | 2021-08-26 | |
| ESL Technologies, Inc. dba Teleplan | Roseville | 308 | Layoff | 2021-08-30 |
| GEOSecureServicesLLCWesternRegionDetentionFacility | 298 | Closure | 2021-08-13 | |
| GEO Secure Services LLC Western Region Detention Facility | San Diego | 298 | Closure | 2021-08-24 |
| StateFarmMutualAutomobileInsuranceCompany | 230 | Closure | 2021-08-27 | |
| State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company | Bakersfield | 230 | Closure | 2021-08-31 |
| Fox Factory Inc | 222 | Closure | 2021-08-11 | |
| Fox Factory Inc | Watsonville | 222 | Closure | 2021-08-17 |
| Panasonic Avionics | Lake Forest | 221 | Layoff | 2021-08-06 |
| Basic Energy Services, Inc | 216 | Closure | 2021-08-17 | |
| Basic Energy Services, Inc | Bakersfield | 216 | Closure | 2021-08-24 |
| Amazon Logistics - DLA3 | Los Angeles | 161 | Closure | 2021-08-06 |
| Amazon Logistics | Los Angeles | 161 | Closure | 2021-08-06 |
The most significant filing came from Basic Energy Services, Inc at its California facility, reporting 393 affected workers. Basic Energy Services, Inc followed with 393 workers.
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for California's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Utilities 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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