California Layoffs — December 2021
Employers in California reported 100 WARN Act notices in December 2021, displacing an estimated 4,607 workers — signaling an acceleration from November and down 74% versus December 2020. The average filing covered 46 workers, with 42 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 43 | 1,092 |
| Information & Technology | 8 | 1,002 |
| Manufacturing | 12 | 784 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 304 |
| Healthcare | 8 | 217 |
| Professional Services | 7 | 211 |
| Transportation | 4 | 156 |
| Retail | 3 | 124 |
The Accommodation & Food sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,092 workers across 43 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 1,002 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 16 | 1,122 |
| Orange | 15 | 611 |
| Contra Costa | 5 | 464 |
| San Bernardino | 10 | 387 |
| San Diego | 14 | 328 |
Los Angeles saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 24% of all affected workers with 1,122 workers across 16 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburg | 4 | 478 |
| Perris | 1 | 304 |
| Los Angeles | 4 | 251 |
| San Jose | 2 | 206 |
| Roseville | 1 | 197 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 42 | 2,887 |
| Layoff | 49 | 1,449 |
| Temporary Layoff | 1 | 74 |
The high proportion of closures (63% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in California's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMC West | Perris | 304 | Closure | |
| ESL Technologies Inc. DBA Teleplan | Roseville | 197 | Closure | |
| Boston Scientific | San Jose | 170 | Closure | |
| Angelica | Orange | 169 | Closure | |
| Angelica | Fresno | 161 | Closure | |
| Angelica | Pittsburg | 148 | Closure | |
| Emerald Textiles | Pittsburg | 145 | Closure | |
| Angelica | Los Angeles | 125 | Closure | |
| Sunrider | Torrance | 118 | Closure | |
| Angelica | Pittsburg | 117 | Closure | |
| Angelica | Sacramento | 117 | Closure | |
| Med-Legal | Hayward | 113 | Closure | |
| Med-Legal | San Dimas | 113 | Closure | |
| Seal Science | Irvine | 78 | Closure | |
| Cookies Los Angeles | 78 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from BMC West at its Perris facility, reporting 304 affected workers. ESL Technologies Inc. DBA Teleplan followed with 197 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
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.