Group working on laptops together

RELEVANTE OUTPLACEMENT SERVICES · CALIFORNIA · UPDATED OCTOBER 2026

Outplacement Services
in California

Employers weighing outplacement in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, or Sacramento can begin with the market notes below. Within 24 to 48 hours of a referral, Relevante's team contacts the referred employee, and the firm has more than 20 years of experience in workforce transitions.

19.5M

CA civilian labor force (BLS), August 2026, preliminary and seasonally adjusted

100%

Placement Guarantee included in the fee

24–48hr

Onboarding Speed

20+yrs

Relevante experience

24–48hr

Onboarding Speed

Relevante Experience
0 +yrs

Section 01

California Outplacement Market Overview

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) puts total nonfarm employment in California at 18,177.2 thousand for August 2026, seasonally adjusted and preliminary. On the Economy at a Glance page for the state, Education and Health Services (3,635.1 thousand), Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (3,067.8 thousand), and Professional and Business Services (2,739.2 thousand) show the highest employment levels among the supersectors.

For the same month, BLS estimated California’s civilian labor force at 19,499.1 thousand and the unemployment rate at 5.1 percent, seasonally adjusted and preliminary. The national unemployment rate for August 2026 was 4.1 percent, seasonally adjusted.

  • Information: 510.7 thousand in August 2026, down 4.2 percent over 12 months (per the BLS table; seasonally adjusted, preliminary)
  • Financial Activities: 780.0 thousand, down 1.6 percent over 12 months (same table and basis). A related page covers outplacement for financial services.
  • Manufacturing: 1,203.8 thousand, down 0.8 percent over 12 months (same table and basis)
  • Leisure and Hospitality: 2,061.3 thousand, up 2.3 percent over 12 months (same table and basis)

Section 02

Major California Markets

Open a tab for Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, or Sacramento. Organizations are located from an SEC filing or their own web pages, and the BLS figures that open each tab state their month, year, and adjustment status.

Los Angeles · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana Area

Health Care & Entertainment

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA area, as BLS names it, had nonfarm employment of 6,289.1 thousand in August 2026 (preliminary and not seasonally adjusted). Education and Health Services leads the supersectors at 1,324.0 thousand, followed by Trade, Transportation, and Utilities at 1,048.9 thousand and Professional and Business Services at 974.2 thousand.

In their SEC filings, The Walt Disney Company, Mattel, Edwards Lifesciences, and Live Nation Entertainment list business addresses in Burbank, El Segundo, Irvine, and Beverly Hills, respectively. UCLA Health’s website describes care “across Southern California and the Central Coast,” and Kaiser Permanente’s Fast Facts page names Pasadena as the headquarters of its Southern California region. Relevante has a page on outplacement in Los Angeles.

The Walt Disney Company (Burbank)

Mattel
(El Segundo)

Edwards Lifesciences (Irvine)

Live Nation Entertainment (Beverly Hills)

UCLA Health

Kaiser Permanente in Southern California (Pasadena)

San Francisco Bay Area · San Francisco and San Jose BLS Areas

San Francisco, Cupertino, Santa Clara & San Jose

BLS tables name San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA as separate areas, so their August 2026 figures (preliminary and not seasonally adjusted) are stated separately here and not added together. The first had nonfarm employment of 2,427.2 thousand, with Professional and Business Services at 469.5 thousand and Education and Health Services at 440.2 thousand as its two largest supersectors. The second had 1,180.8 thousand, with the same two supersectors at 279.6 thousand and 227.8 thousand.

In their SEC filings, Salesforce, Wells Fargo, and Levi Strauss & Co. list business addresses in San Francisco, Apple lists one in Cupertino, NVIDIA one in Santa Clara, and Adobe one in San Jose. Relevante has pages on outplacement in San Francisco and San Jose.

Salesforce (San Francisco)

Wells Fargo (San Francisco)

Levi Strauss & Co. (San Francisco)

Apple (Cupertino)

NVIDIA (Santa Clara)

Adobe (San Jose)

San Diego · San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos Area

Health Care & Education

BLS counted nonfarm employment of 1,567.0 thousand in the San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA area for August 2026 (preliminary and not seasonally adjusted). Education and Health Services leads the supersectors at 285.8 thousand, followed by Professional and Business Services at 263.9 thousand and Government at 238.5 thousand.

In their SEC filings, Qualcomm, Illumina, and Sempra list business addresses in San Diego. Sharp HealthCare’s About page calls it “a health care system in San Diego,” and the University of California San Diego’s website lists an address on Gilman Drive in La Jolla. Relevante has a page on outplacement in San Diego.

Qualcomm
(San Diego)

Illumina
(San Diego)

Sempra
(San Diego)

Sharp HealthCare
(San Diego)

University of California San Diego

Sacramento · Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville Area

Health Care, Utility & University

The Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, CA area had nonfarm employment of 1,109.3 thousand in the August 2026 BLS estimate (preliminary and not seasonally adjusted). Government leads the supersectors at 262.6 thousand, followed by Education and Health Services at 222.4 thousand and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities at 168.0 thousand.

Sutter Health’s About page says it is “Based in Sacramento,” and UC Davis Health’s About Us page says its academic health system is “Based in Sacramento, California.” The heading of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s About Us page begins “Serving Sacramento,” and the website of California State University, Sacramento lists 6000 J Street in Sacramento. Relevante has a page on outplacement in Sacramento.

Sutter Health (Sacramento)

UC Davis Health (Sacramento)

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

California State University, Sacramento


Section 03

Industry-Specific Outplacement

One card each covers health care; technology; entertainment and media; and aerospace and logistics. Web pages, releases, and SEC filings supply the facts on the cards, and the bullets under them describe Relevante’s coaching.

Health Care

The California Hospital Association's home page says it provides leadership, advocacy, training, and tools for the state's hospitals and health systems. Scripps Health's home page calls it "a not-for-profit, integrated health system in San Diego, California." Relevante's page on outplacement for healthcare organizations covers this sector.

Technology

In its SEC filings, Alphabet lists a business address in Mountain View and Meta Platforms one in Menlo Park. The Silicon Valley Leadership Group's About page says its mission is "to bring leading Silicon Valley CEOs and stakeholders together." Relevante also has a page on outplacement for information technology teams.

Entertainment & Media

The California Film Commission's About page calls it "one of several economic development departments" and says it administers the state's film and television tax credit program. In its SEC filings, Netflix lists a business address in Los Gatos. A related Relevante page covers outplacement for communication services employers.

Aerospace & Logistics

A Lockheed Martin release dated August 10, 2021 says the company "completed construction of an advanced manufacturing facility at its Palmdale, California, campus." The Port of Los Angeles' About page places the port in San Pedro Bay. For aerospace and logistics employers, see Relevante's page on outplacement for industrial employers.


Section 04

Pricing Guide 2026

Relevante uses a simple two-tier, per-onboarded-participant model. No setup fees, no minimum commitments, no platform fees, and no per-session or per-deliverable charges. The table below sets out what each tier includes.

Pricing element What Relevante provides
Tiers Two flat, all-inclusive tiers, sized to level and population and quoted per program
Included in each tier Resume and LinkedIn rebuild, unlimited mock interviews, accessibility accommodations, employer communications support, and full audit-quality reporting
Coaching duration Coaching until reemployment, with no time cap
Invoicing Invoiced only on engagement
Placement Guarantee A 100% Placement Guarantee is included in the per-participant fee at no additional charge

Request a Proposal for Your California Workforce

Relevante bills only when an employee is onboarded and accepts services. Employers comparing vendors can read the 2026 guide to career transition and outplacement services and the article on remote outplacement coaching and what to ask vendors.


Section 05

Provider Comparison
for California

Competitor cells summarize each provider’s own website as read in October 2026; “Not listed” means the item did not appear on the pages read. Side-by-side breakdowns: Relevante vs. LHH and Korn Ferry.

Criteria Relevante LHH Right Management Challenger Gray Korn Ferry
California presence on own site Virtual-first, all 50 states San Diego, Sherman Oaks Not listed Los Angeles Los Angeles, San Francisco
Outplacement offerings named Coaching until reemployment Outplacement with certified career coaches Executive, individual, and group outplacement Outplacement and executive coaching Career transition and outplacement
Time to first contact 24 to 48 hours of referral Not listed Not listed Not listed Not listed
Pricing model Two tiers, per participant Not listed Not listed Not listed Not listed

Section 06

Legal & Compliance
Requirements

This section summarizes federal WARN, Cal/WARN, the Employment Development Department’s Rapid Response page, and California’s non-compete provisions. Section 08 quotes statute wording and notes what was not read. Nothing here is legal advice.

Federal WARN and Cal/WARN

Under 29 U.S.C. 2102(a), an employer “shall not order a plant closing or mass layoff until the end of a 60-day period after the employer serves written notice.” Cal/WARN, the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (Labor Code 1400 to 1408), prohibits a mass layoff, relocation, or termination at a covered establishment (defined in section 1400.5(a)) unless written notice is given 60 days before the order takes effect (section 1401(a)). The Labor Code sections were read at the California Legislature’s website in October 2026.

  • Federal WARN: 60-day period after written notice (29 U.S.C. 2102(a))
  • Cal/WARN: written notice 60 days before the order takes effect (Labor Code 1401(a))
  • Covered establishment and the three events: Labor Code 1400.5
  • Quoted wording and limits: Section 08

EDD Rapid Response and the WARN Report

The Employment Development Department (EDD) states, on its Rapid Response Services for Employers page, “Rapid Response helps companies facing potential layoffs or plant closures.” The page adds that services are “delivered by state and local workforce development agencies” and lists worker services such as “Career Counseling and Job Search Assistance.” EDD’s WARN page offers the latest WARN report as an XLSX file and earlier reports as PDF files.

  • Rapid Response page: help for companies facing potential layoffs or plant closures
  • Worker services listed there include career counseling and resume workshops
  • WARN report: XLSX file for the latest, PDF files for earlier reports

California Non-Compete Provisions

In Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code, section 16600(a) provides: “Except as provided in this chapter, every contract by which anyone is restrained from engaging in a lawful profession, trade, or business of any kind is to that extent void.” Under section 16600.5(a), a void contract “is unenforceable regardless of where and when the contract was signed.” Chapter 1 names exceptions, including a sale of the goodwill of a business (section 16601), partners on dissolution or dissociation (section 16602), and limited liability company members on dissolution or termination of their interests (section 16602.5). These quotations are from the California Legislature’s website as read in October 2026; case law and other statutes were not reviewed. A Relevante article covers workforce transitions with integrity. Consult California employment counsel.

  • Section 16600.1(a): unlawful to include a non-compete clause in an employment contract unless an exception is satisfied
  • Section 16600.5(b): no attempt to enforce a void contract, even if signed and employment maintained outside California
  • Exceptions: sections 16601, 16602, and 16602.5

Section 08

California FAQs

The answers below cover pricing, federal WARN, the coverage, notice, and remedies provisions of Cal/WARN, California’s non-compete provisions and related sections, wages due after a discharge, how quickly outplacement can begin, and the industries Relevante supports.

Relevante uses a two-tier, per-onboarded-participant pricing model for California employers. There are no setup fees, no minimum commitments, no platform fees, and no per-session or per-deliverable charges. Each tier is all-inclusive and covers coaching until reemployment, resume and LinkedIn rebuild, unlimited mock interviews, accessibility accommodations, employer communications support, and full audit-quality reporting. Request a proposal for pricing sized to your population and timing.

Under 29 U.S.C. 2101(a)(1), an employer is "any business enterprise that employs" either "100 or more employees, excluding part-time employees" or "100 or more employees who in the aggregate work at least 4,000 hours per week (exclusive of hours of overtime)." Section 2101(a)(2) defines a plant closing as a shutdown of "a single site of employment," or of facilities or operating units within it, that results in an employment loss "during any 30-day period for 50 or more employees excluding any part-time employees." Section 2101(a)(3) defines a mass layoff as a reduction in force that "is not the result of a plant closing" and that results in an employment loss at the single site during any 30-day period for at least 33 percent of the employees and at least 50 employees, or for at least 500 employees, excluding part-time employees in each case. Under section 2102(a), an employer "shall not order a plant closing or mass layoff until the end of a 60-day period after the employer serves written notice" of the order to each representative of the affected employees (or, if there is none, to each affected employee), to "the State or entity designated by the State to carry out rapid response activities," and to "the chief elected official of the unit of local government." Sections 2102(b) and (c) and 2103 contain reduced-notice rules, a rule on extended layoffs, and exemptions, none of which is described here. Federal text is from the United States Code, 2024 Edition. This is general information, not legal advice.
Section 1400.5(a) defines a "covered establishment" as "any industrial or commercial facility or part thereof that employs, or has employed within the preceding 12 months, 75 or more persons." Under section 1400.5(d), a "mass layoff" is "a layoff during any 30-day period of 50 or more employees at a covered establishment." A "relocation," under section 1400.5(e), is "the removal of all or substantially all of the industrial or commercial operations in a covered establishment to a different location 100 miles or more away," and a "termination," under section 1400.5(f), is "the cessation or substantial cessation of industrial or commercial operations in a covered establishment." Section 1400.5(h) defines an "employee" as "a person employed by an employer for at least 6 months of the 12 months preceding the date on which notice is required." Section 1400.5(g) excludes the completion of a particular project or undertaking of an employer subject to Wage Order 11, 12, or 16 when employees were hired with the understanding that employment was limited to that project, and seasonal employment where employees were hired with the understanding that it was seasonal and temporary. Sections 1400 to 1408 of the Labor Code were read at the California Legislature's website in October 2026; other provisions, case law, regulations, and agency guidance were not reviewed. Consult California employment counsel.
Labor Code 1401(a) provides: "An employer may not order a mass layoff, relocation, or termination at a covered establishment unless, 60 days before the order takes effect, the employer gives written notice of the order" to two groups. Subdivision (a)(1) lists "The employees of the covered establishment affected by the order." Subdivision (a)(2) lists "The Employment Development Department, the local workforce development board, and the chief elected official of each city and county government within which the termination, relocation, or mass layoff occurs." Subdivisions (b) to (e) list contents of the notice, including the elements required by federal WARN, whether the employer plans to coordinate services such as a rapid response orientation, a description of CalFresh, and the employer's email address and telephone number. Under subdivision (f), "an employer is not required to provide notice if a mass layoff, relocation, or termination is necessitated by a physical calamity or act of war." Section 1402.5 provides a further exception, determined on a written record and an affidavit; its conditions and limits are not described here. Section 1401 carries the history line "Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 229, Sec. 1. (SB 617) Effective January 1, 2026." This answer does not describe what that amendment changed. Section 1401 was read at the California Legislature's website in October 2026. A Relevante article covers legal mistakes HR leaders can't afford in layoffs.
Under Labor Code 1402(a), an employer that fails to give the notice required by section 1401(a)(1) is liable to each employee entitled to notice who lost employment for back pay and for the value of the cost of benefits. Under section 1402(b), liability is calculated for the period of the violation, "up to a maximum of 60 days, or one-half the number of days that the employee was employed by the employer, whichever period is smaller." Section 1402(c) reduces the amount by wages paid by the employer during the period of the violation (except vacation moneys accrued before the period of the violation), by voluntary and unconditional payments the employer made that were not required to satisfy any legal obligation, and by certain payments to a third party or trustee for the employee, such as health benefit premiums. Under section 1403, an employer that fails to give the notice required by section 1401(a)(2) "is subject to a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars ($500) for each day" of the violation. The employer is not subject to that penalty if it pays the amounts it owes under section 1402 to all applicable employees within three weeks from the date it orders the mass layoff, relocation, or termination. Sections 1402 and 1403 were read at the California Legislature's website in October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
In Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code, section 16600(a) provides: "Except as provided in this chapter, every contract by which anyone is restrained from engaging in a lawful profession, trade, or business of any kind is to that extent void." Section 16600(b)(1) provides: "This section shall be read broadly, in accordance with Edwards v. Arthur Andersen LLP (2008) 44 Cal.4th 937, to void the application of any noncompete agreement in an employment context, or any noncompete clause in an employment contract, no matter how narrowly tailored, that does not satisfy an exception in this chapter." Section 16600.1(a) provides: "It shall be unlawful to include a noncompete clause in an employment contract, or to require an employee to enter a noncompete agreement, that does not satisfy an exception in this chapter." Section 16600.5(a) provides that a contract void under that chapter "is unenforceable regardless of where and when the contract was signed." Section 16600.5(b) provides that an employer or former employer "shall not attempt to enforce a contract that is void under this chapter regardless of whether the contract was signed and the employment was maintained outside of California." These quotations are from the sections as displayed at the California Legislature's website, read in October 2026. No case law was reviewed, and other statutes were not reviewed. Consult California employment counsel.
Section 16601 addresses a sale of the goodwill of a business, a disposal of all of an owner's ownership interest, and a sale of all or substantially all of a business entity's operating assets, and lets the seller "agree with the buyer to refrain from carrying on a similar business within a specified geographic area" in which the business was carried on, so long as the buyer carries on a like business there. Sections 16602 and 16602.5 address partners and limited liability company members, respectively. Under section 16600.5, an employer "shall not enter into a contract with an employee or prospective employee that includes a provision that is void under this chapter" (subdivision (c)); an employer that enters into or attempts to enforce such a contract "commits a civil violation" (subdivision (d)); and subdivision (e) allows a private action "for injunctive relief or the recovery of actual damages, or both." Labor Code 925(a) provides that an employer "shall not require an employee who primarily resides and works in California, as a condition of employment," to agree to a provision requiring adjudication outside California of a claim arising in California or depriving the employee of the substantive protection of California law, and under subdivision (b) such a provision is "voidable by the employee." Subdivision (e) excludes a contract with an employee individually represented by legal counsel in negotiating venue, forum, or choice-of-law terms, and subdivision (f) applies the section to a contract "entered into, modified, or extended on or after January 1, 2017." No physician or other professional carve-out was read. Quotations are from the California Legislature's website, read in October 2026; case law was not reviewed.
Labor Code 201(a) provides: "If an employer discharges an employee, the wages earned and unpaid at the time of discharge are due and payable immediately." The section also contains provisos, which are not described here. Labor Code 203(a) provides that if an employer "willfully fails to pay, without abatement or reduction," the wages of an employee who is discharged or who quits, as the sections it lists require, "the wages of the employee shall continue as a penalty from the due date thereof at the same rate until paid or until an action therefor is commenced; but the wages shall not continue for more than 30 days." Nothing in this answer addresses when wages are due to an employee who quits. Quotations are from the California Legislature's website, read in October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
Relevante's standard is first contact with each referred employee within 24 to 48 hours of receiving the referral. The Services Agreement is executed via DocuSign, no integration with the employer's IT systems is required, and there is no proprietary platform to provision. This is the normal operating mode at every engagement size, from a single executive separation to a multi-cohort reduction.
Relevante supports employers across financial services, healthcare, industrial and manufacturing, materials, information technology, utilities, energy, real estate, consumer staples, consumer discretionary, communication services, and nonprofit organizations. This page gives a card to each of four sectors: health care; technology; entertainment and media; and aerospace and logistics. Outplacement is a functional discipline, so coaching depth transfers across sectors with similar functions.

Section 09

Why Choose Relevante

Delivery is nationwide, and senior leaders can also receive executive career coaching. Relevante’s outplacement program is simple for an HR team to run, and two Relevante articles cover smart offboarding, employer brand, and retention and AI Meets HR: The Future of Compassionate Workforce Transitions. Certified Career Coaches and the leadership team carry out the work.

Industry Expertise

Participants are paired with coaches according to industry, function, and level. This page profiles health care, technology, entertainment and media, and aerospace and logistics.

Fast Deployment

Coaching deployment can begin within 24–48 hours, critical during restructuring events requiring immediate support.

Flat-Fee Pricing

Predictable budgeting during reductions. No setup fees, no minimums. You pay only when an employee is onboarded.

Consistent Coach Relationship

Every employee works with the same dedicated Certified Career Coach from start to new job placement.

20+

Years Relevante has supported U.S. employers

24hr

Onboarding speed after agreement execution

All 50

U.S. states supported (and international)

$0

Setup fees, minimums, or ongoing retainer costs


Section 10

What Past Participants Wrote

Every testimonial links to the participant’s own LinkedIn profile for independent verification.


Section 11

Need to Support Transitioning Employees
in California?

Employers can read the 2026 guide for employers and the outplacement services page, then request customized pricing in a consultation for a program in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, Sacramento, or elsewhere in California.


    Confidential request

    Request a confidential pricing proposal

    Tell us a bit about your situation. A member of the Relevante team will respond within one business day with a tailored proposal.











    All requests for outplacement services pricing proposals are treated confidentially.