Job Reports

With California now posting the highest unemployment rate in the nation, this report focuses specifically on unemployment data to provide crucial insights into the state of employment in California.

The March labor force data in general produced weak results for the state.  Nonfarm jobs dipped by 3,400 over the month, while January’s strong preliminary numbers were revised down sharply from the initially reported 58,100 to 25,600, the lowest since last September and only 38% as high as the gain in January 2023.

As discussed in our preliminary report, nonfarm jobs in January posted a 58,100 gain in the preliminary estimate. While stronger than prior months, January only regained a portion of the ground lost due to the 231,800 downward adjustment in December coming from the annual revision process.

Highlights for policy makers:

Recovery 232,000 Jobs Weaker than Previously Reported
California Labor Force
Nonfarm Jobs by Region
Counties with Double-Digit Unemployment
Unemployment Rate By Legislative District

As discussed in our preliminary report, nonfarm jobs rose 23,400 in December, bringing the preliminary job gains for all of 2023 to 311,600 (seasonally adjusted) and coming in 26% better than the average monthly jobs gain of 20,500 in pre-pandemic 2019.

Highlights for policy makers:

Recovery Progress
Job Openings Down 25% Since December
Labor Force Still Below Recovery
Unemployment Claims at Nearly a Quarter of US Total
May Revise Pulls UI Fund Repayments
California State Trust Fund Solvency Lowest Among the States
CaliFormer Businesses
May Revise: Projections Show a Reduced Surplus; Not a Deficit

Highlights for policy makers:

Recovery Progress
Job Openings Down 25% Since December
Labor Force Still Below Recovery
Unemployment Claims at Nearly a Quarter of US Total
May Revise Pulls UI Fund Repayments
California State Trust Fund Solvency Lowest Among the States
CaliFormer Businesses
May Revise: Projections Show a Reduced Surplus; Not a Deficit

Highlights for policy makers:

November Data Again Posts Mixed Results
Recovery Progress: CA Jobs by Wage Level
California Labor Force
Recovery Progress: CA Employment vs. Other States
Nonfarm Jobs
Recovery Progress: CA Nonfarm Jobs vs. Other States
Nonfarm Jobs by Region
Unemployment Rates by Region
Employment Recovery by Region
Counties with Double-Digit Unemployment
MSAs with the Worst Unemployment Rates

Highlights for policy makers:

Recovery Progress
Job Openings Down 25% Since December
Labor Force Still Below Recovery
Unemployment Claims at Nearly a Quarter of US Total
May Revise Pulls UI Fund Repayments
California State Trust Fund Solvency Lowest Among the States
CaliFormer Businesses
May Revise: Projections Show a Reduced Surplus; Not a Deficit

Highlights for policy makers:

California Labor Force
Recovery Progress: CA vs. US
Recovery Progress: CA Jobs by Wage Level
Recovery Progress: CA Employment vs. Other States
Nonfarm Jobs
Recovery Progress: CA Nonfarm Jobs vs. Other States
Nonfarm Jobs by Region
Unemployment Rates by Region
Employment Recovery by Region
Counties with Double-Digit Unemployment
MSAs with the Worst Unemployment Rates

Highlights for policy makers:

Recovery Progress: CA vs. US
Recovery Progress: CA Jobs by Wage Level
California Labor Force
Recovery Progress: CA Employment vs. Other States
Nonfarm Jobs by Region
Recovery Progress: CA Nonfarm Jobs vs. Other States
JOB OPENINGS
Nonfarm Jobs by Region
Unemployment Rates by Region
Employment Recovery by Region
Counties with Double-Digit Unemployment
MSAs with the Worst Unemployment Rates

The Center for Jobs and the Economy has released our full analysis of the August Employment Report from the California Employment Development Department. For additional information and data about the California economy visit www.centerforjobs.org/ca.

Highlights for policy makers:

Recovery Progress: California Numbers Show Substantial Weakening
California Poverty Rate Once Again Highest Among the States
California Labor Force
Nonfarm Jobs by Region
Counties with Double-Digit Unemployment

As discussed in our preliminary report, the July again reported slowing in the state’s economy. The nonfarm job numbers broke the previous pattern since April 2022 of the first quarter reporting job gains above 60,000, followed by slower gains in the following two months. Comparing just the first month of each quarter in this period, the July number was 59% lower. The employment numbers reported a loss of 17,000, reversing much of the gain the prior two months and keeping total employment essentially unchanged since June 2022.