By Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle The Tribune Content Agency
Blue Shield of California, a nonprofit health plan provider, is set to lay off 61 employees across the state, including in Oakland, just before the holiday season, according to regulatory filings.
"Blue Shield of California is driven by its mission to provide access to quality health care that's sustainably affordable for all," the company said in a statement. "This includes reducing administrative costs, operating efficiently, and ensuring we have the right talent, skills, and capabilities in place. With that in mind and the economic headwinds we are now facing, we have decided to reduce our staff by 61 positions."
The layoffs, representing less than 1% of the workforce, are scheduled for Dec. 11 and Dec. 18, and will affect 16 employees at its Oakland headquarters in Alameda County, 38 in Los Angeles County, five in El Dorado County, and one each in Sacramento and San Joaquin counties.
Blue Shield will offer job-search assistance and skills training for up to 90 days to those affected.
This follows a previous round of layoffs in January, where 140 positions were eliminated.
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