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Orange County, CA jobs, unemployment and layoffs

Orange County’s unemployment rate is 4.3%. Employers filed 26 layoff notices here in the last 12 months. 4,103 open professional jobs are in its cities.

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Orange County economy

  • 4.3%

    unemployment, Sep 2026

    4.4% the month before

  • 1,615,890

    in the labor force

    Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics

  • 3,164,063

    people in Orange County

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau

  • $113,702

    median household income

    Source: Census ACS

  • 46%

    of workers in white-collar occupations

    Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS

Where Orange County ranks

Where Orange County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.

November 2026

Orange County outlook: Steady

Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.

  • Private-sector jobs up 1.1% from 2022 to 2025
  • Population down 1.2% from 2020 to 2025
  • Unemployment 4.3%, down 0.1 points from a year ago
  • Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+30,241 jobs), arts & recreation (+9,954 jobs)
  • Sectors losing the most jobs: admin & staffing (−17,259 jobs), finance & insurance (−9,879 jobs)

Learn and get funded in Orange County

Orange County layoffs

  • 26

    Layoff notices, last 12 months

  • 1,455

    workers named

    A floor: states may leave out counts

  • 22

    employers

Layoff notices filed in Orange County, newest first
Notice dateEmployerCity or countyWorkersTypeSource
Chick-Fil-ATakes effect Jan 8, 2027Orange County24Closure TemporaryState record
Chick-Fil-ATakes effect Jan 8, 2027Orange County14Closure TemporaryState record
AESTakes effect Jan 6, 2027Orange County13Layoff PermanentState record
The Vons Companies Inc.Takes effect Jan 2, 2027Orange County78Closure PermanentState record
Econolite Control Products, Inc.Takes effect Dec 31, 2026Orange County13Layoff PermanentState record
Davey Tree Surgery CompanyTakes effect Dec 31, 2026Orange County37Layoff PermanentState record
Eterna Management, LLCTakes effect Dec 22, 2026Orange County124Layoff PermanentState record
Eterna ManagementTakes effect Dec 22, 2026Orange County6Layoff PermanentState record
KaiserTakes effect Nov 20, 2026Orange County2Layoff PermanentState record
IPS Nationwide, Inc.Takes effect Nov 17, 2026Orange County50Layoff PermanentState record
Renewal by Andersen LLCTakes effect Nov 2, 2026Orange County79Layoff PermanentState record
Renewal by Andersen LLCTakes effect Nov 2, 2026Orange County52Layoff PermanentState record
Pathways Community Services dba ClarvidaTakes effect Nov 1, 2026Orange County35Closure PermanentState record
Pathways Community Services dba ClarvidaTakes effect Nov 1, 2026Orange County32Closure PermanentState record
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation U.S.A.Takes effect Oct 1, 2026Orange County61Closure PermanentState record

All layoff notices in the state

Employers hiring most in Orange County

Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.

  1. Anduril Industries1,130 open roles
  2. Anduril210 open roles
  3. Rivian Automotive74 open roles
  4. Pacific Life70 open roles
  5. UC Irvine (incl. UCI Health)58 open roles
  6. Field AI56 open roles
  7. Hyundai Motor America43 open roles
  8. L3HARRIS Technologies33 open roles
  9. True Anomaly29 open roles
  10. Danaher26 open roles

Largest employers headquartered in Orange County

Employee counts with a year are published figures (Wikidata). Other sizes are estimates from our company directory, not payroll counts.

Colleges in Orange County

Colleges in Orange County
CollegeCityTypeStudents
California State University-FullertonFullertonPublic 4-year20,000+
University of California-IrvineIrvinePublic 4-year20,000+
Chapman UniversityOrangePrivate non-profit 4-year5,000–9,999
University of Massachusetts GlobalAliso ViejoPublic 4-year5,000–9,999
Concordia University-IrvineIrvinePrivate non-profit 4-year1,000–4,999
Hope International UniversityFullertonPrivate non-profit 4-year1,000–4,999
Touro University WorldwideLos AlamitosPrivate non-profit 4-year1,000–4,999
Vanguard University of Southern CaliforniaCosta MesaPrivate non-profit 4-year1,000–4,999
Bethesda UniversityAnaheimPrivate non-profit 4-yearUnder 1,000
Daybreak UniversityAnaheimPrivate non-profit 4-yearUnder 1,000
Grace Mission UniversityFullertonPrivate non-profit 4-yearUnder 1,000
Haven UniversityGarden GrovePrivate non-profit 4-yearUnder 1,000
Laguna College of Art and DesignLaguna BeachPrivate non-profit 4-yearUnder 1,000
Marshall B Ketchum UniversityFullertonPrivate non-profit 4-yearUnder 1,000
Soka University of AmericaAliso ViejoPrivate non-profit 4-yearUnder 1,000
South Baylo UniversityAnaheimPrivate non-profit 4-yearUnder 1,000
The Chicago School at AnaheimAnaheimPrivate non-profit 4-yearUnder 1,000
Trinity Law SchoolSanta AnaPrivate non-profit 4-yearUnder 1,000

Conferences in Orange County

Industry conferences and trade shows held in Orange County. 31 with dates announced.

  • TechServe Alliance Executive Summit

    Nov 9 to Nov 11, 2026 · Huntington Beach, CA

    Ticket $2,695 to $3,995. IT & engineering services firm rates: early bird (to Jul 31) member $2,695 / non-member $3,095; advance…

  • SIM National Conference

    Nov 9 to Nov 11, 2026 · Huntington Beach, CA

    By invitation only. Membership-based; pricing not read.

  • IFMA World Workplace

    Nov 18 to Nov 20, 2026 · Anaheim, CA

    Paid ticket. Member and non-member full-event rates are only in a PDF form. Expo-only $149; virtual $99. Fifth registration free…

    Open call for speakers

  • CSG National Conference

    Dec 3 to Dec 6, 2026 · Anaheim, CA

    Paid ticket. Dates from the CSG-ERC event page; prices not read.

  • Public Affairs Institute

    Jan 11 to Jan 14, 2027 · Laguna Beach, CA

    Ticket $6,000 to $7,400. Tuition (meals included, lodging not): Public Affairs Council members $6,000; non-members $7,400. 5%…

  • The NAMM Show

    Jan 26 to Jan 30, 2027 · Anaheim, CA

    Apply to attend. Qualified attendees or invited guests.

  • MD&M West

    Feb 9 to Feb 11, 2027 · Anaheim, CA

    Free expo floor; session passes $329 to $989. Conference passes (first column of the page's two-column price table) run $329 for…

  • Natural Products Expo West

    Mar 2 to Mar 5, 2027 · Anaheim, CA

    Free expo, paid sessions. Registration not yet open; 'Notify me' list.

    Open call for speakers

  • Social Media Marketing World

    Apr 1 to Apr 3, 2027 · Anaheim, CA

    Paid ticket. Ticket types All-Access, Marketer, Virtual; prices at socialmediaexaminer.com/smmworld/register/ (not readable this…

  • APEX EXPO

    Apr 3 to Apr 8, 2027 · Anaheim, CA

    Paid ticket. Meetings April 3-8, exhibition April 6-8; packages open mid-to-late November.

  • UPCEA Annual Conference

    Apr 13 to Apr 15, 2027 · Anaheim, CA

    Ticket $1,045 to $1,820. Member $1,045 early to $1,420 onsite; institutional nonmember $1,445 to $1,820.

  • AAHOACON

    May 4 to May 6, 2027 · Anaheim, CA

    Paid ticket, price not listed

Showing 12 of 40 conferences, 31 with dates announced.

All conferences

Workforce development and job centers

The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Orange County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.

Laid off in California? How to file for unemployment in California (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).

  • Anaheim Workforce Connection

    Anaheim · Comprehensive · 714-765-4350

    Mon. thru Fri 8:00 - 5:00

  • Orange County Workforce Solutions Center - Brea

    Brea · Comprehensive · 866-500-6587

    Monday- Friday 9am-6pm Saturday 9am-1pm - EDD Hours-Monday -Friday 8am-5pm

  • Orange County Workforce Solutions Center

    Laguna Niguel · Affiliate · 866-500-6587

    Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-1pm

  • Orange County Workforce Solutions Center Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos

    Los Alamitos · Affiliate · 866-500-6587

    Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00am-5:00pm

  • Orange County Workforce Solutions Center- Mobile Unit -

    Santa Ana · Affiliate · 866-500-6587

    Varies- Check website to book

  • Santa Ana WORK Center

    Santa Ana · Comprehensive · 714-565-2600

    Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Cities in Orange County

Show all 30

Other California counties

All of California

Laid off or looking for work in Orange County?

See what to do first and the jobs open near you.

See your options after a layoff

Sources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from California’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. California unemployment benefits and severance rules.

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