Los Angeles County has released a 60-day interim report estimating that about 2,495 local positions could be exposed to workforce impacts if Paramount Skydance's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery moves forward.
The report was produced by the county's Department of Economic Opportunity, the LA County Film Office and the Chief Executive Office, with analysis by Los Angeles-based consulting firm CVL Economics. It found the county has the largest concentration of overlapping functions between the two companies. Officials cautioned the figure is not a layoff forecast but identifies the roles most immediately exposed to consolidation.
The analysis said the combined company would carry roughly $82 billion in gross debt and pursue more than $6 billion in projected savings, increasing pressure to consolidate corporate operations, technology systems, real estate and administrative functions.
The report responds to a March 17, 2026, motion by Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath that was approved by the Board of Supervisors. A final 120-day report is expected in August 2026 with additional recommendations.
"In Los Angeles County, the entertainment industry has long been our economic and cultural engine, and we have to fight like hell to protect it," Horvath said. "Nothing is off the table when it comes to protecting our workforce, our economy, and the future of the entertainment capital of the world."
Kelly LoBianco, DEO director, said the findings reinforce what workers and small businesses have reported for years about a fragile recovery. DEO and the LA County Film Office are developing a workforce action plan drawing on the county's America's Job Centers of California, High Road Training Partnerships and Rapid Response services, coordinating with state agencies to expedite unemployment and health care access for dislocated workers.
CVL Economics Co-Founder Adam Fowler said the report is designed to size the risk, not predict layoffs, adding that Los Angeles is not well positioned today to capture any potential increase in production.
The county's creative economy supports more than 312,000 workers, including about 171,155 entertainment sector jobs. FilmLA data shows county production activity fell 16% in 2025 compared with 2024. The county previously awarded $4 million to 363 small and micro businesses through the Entertainment Business Interruption Fund.
Download the report at: opportunity.lacounty.gov/lacountyfilmoffice/
Edited by SMDP Staff