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California’s unemployment rate sunk to 3.9 percent in September 2022

Published:

NR No. 22-36
Contact: Loree Levy/Aubrey Henry
916-654-9029
mediainquiries@edd.ca.gov

IMPORTANT NOTE: The employment data for the month of September 2022 is taken from the survey week including Sept. 12th. Data for the month of October is scheduled for release on November 18, 2022.

Employers added 6,500 nonfarm payroll jobs

SACRAMENTO – California’s unemployment rate decreased in the month of September 2022 to a record-tying low of 3.9 percent1 in the current data series, as the state’s employers added 6,500 nonfarm payroll jobs2 to the economy, according to data released today by the California Employment Development Department (EDD) from two surveys.

The California unemployment rate was 3.9 percent in September 2022, above August 2022’s rate of 4.1 percent.
California payroll jobs totaled 17,667,200 in September 2022, up 7,000 from September 2022 and up 712,600 from September of last year.

California’s Labor Market, by the Numbers...

  • September 2022’s statewide unemployment rate of 3.9 percent is tied with July 2022 as the lowest ever on record in a data series that dates back to 1976.
  • The state has now regained 99.1 percent (2,734,200) of the 2,758,900 nonfarm jobs lost during March and April of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • September 2022 marked the 12th consecutive month of nonfarm job gains, which now totals a 712,600 job gain over that time period.
  • Only five of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs in September with Education & Health Services (+15,000) showing the largest month-over gains thanks to strength in payrolls within Colleges, Universities, & Professional Schools.
  • Leisure & Hospitality’s gains (+8,700) came largely from Special Food Services, such as (for example) catering and food trucks.
  • Losses in Government (-16,100) by and large were due to weakness in local government hiring, outside of education. For example, reductions in administration and services.

1. The unemployment rate comes from a separate federal survey of 5,100 California households.

2. The nonfarm payroll job numbers come from a federal survey of 80,000 California businesses.

Data Trends about Jobs in the Economy

Total Nonfarm Payroll Jobs

Total Nonfarm Payroll Jobs (Comes from a monthly survey of approximately 80,000 California businesses that estimates jobs in the economy – seasonally adjusted)

  • Month-over – Total nonfarm jobs in California’s 11 major industries totaled 17,667,200 in September – a net gain 6,500 jobs from August. This followed an upwards revised (+16,100) month-over gain of 36,000 jobs in August.
  • Year-over – Total nonfarm jobs increased by 712,600 (a 4.2 percent increase) from September 2021 to September 2022 compared to the U.S. annual gain of 5,690,000 jobs (a 3.9 percent increase).
This table shows the number of California nonfarm payroll jobs grouped by major industries, with columns showing month-over and year-over change, plus total payroll jobs as of August 2022. If you need an alternative format to access this information, contact the EDD Equal Employment Opportunity Office at EEOmail@edd.ca.gov or call toll free 1-866-490-8879.
Major Industries Month-over Change (August 2022–September 2022) Year-over Change (September 2021–September 2022) Total Payroll Jobs as of September 2022

Education and Health Services

+15,000 +126,400 2,951,700

Leisure and Hospitality

+8,700 +153,400 1,922,100

Other Services

+2,800 +38,200 553,800

Professional and Business Services

+800 +134,100 2,849,000

Construction

+200 +44,500 920,300

Mining and Logging

-100 +400 19,200

Manufacturing

-700 +35,000 1,310,100

Information

-700 +24,700 607,900
Financial Activities  -1,100 +10,400 832,900

Trade, Transp., Utilities

-2,300 +118,900 3,158,900

Government

-16,100 +26,600 2,541,300

 

Total Farm jobs – The number of jobs in the agriculture industry decreased from August by 700 to a total of 410,800 jobs in September. The agricultural industry had 7,600 more farm jobs in September 2022 than it did in September a year ago.

Data Trends about Workers in the Economy

Employment and Unemployment in California (Based on a monthly federal survey of 5,100 California households which focuses on workers in the economy)

  • Employed – The number of Californians employed in September was 18,544,100, a decrease of 20,100 persons from August’s total of 18,564,200, but up 755,400 from the employment total in September 2021.
  • Unemployed – The number of unemployed Californians was 746,200 in September, a decrease of 37,600 over the month and down 471,900 in comparison to September 2021.
California Labor Force Month-over Change (August 2022–September 2022) Year-over Change (September 2021–September  2022)
* Civilian Labor Force (19,290,300) -57,700 +283,500
Total Civilian Employment (18,544,100) -20,100 +755,400
Unemployment (746,200) -37,600 -471,900

* Labor force by place of residence, including workers involved in trade disputes.

Unemployment Insurance Claims (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

The following data is from a sample week that includes the 19th of each month: In related data that figures into the state’s unemployment rate, there were 294,085 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance benefits during the September 2022 sample week. That compares to 310,212 people in August and 493,987 people in September 2021. Concurrently, 34,501 initial claims were processed in the September 2022 sample week, which was a month-over decrease of 2,699 claims from August and a year-over decrease of 44,377 claims from September 2021.

California Unemployment Insurance Claims Month-over Change (August 2022–September 2022) Year-over Change (September 2021–September 2022)
UI Recipients (294,085) -16,127 -199,902
New UI Claims (34,501) -2,699 -44,377
MONTHLY LABOR FORCE DATA FOR COUNTIES
September 2022 (Preliminary); 2021 Benchmark
NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED
COUNTY LABOR FORCE EMPLOYMENT UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
STATE TOTAL 19,284,300 18,568,000 716,300 3.7%
ALAMEDA 830,400 806,500 23,900 2.9%
ALPINE 460 430 20 5.0%
AMADOR 14,530 13,980 550 3.8%
BUTTE 93,400 90,000 3,500 3.7%
CALAVERAS 22,200 21,550 650 2.9%
COLUSA 11,440 10,640 800 7.0%
CONTRA COSTA 554,700 537,700 17,000 3.1%
DEL NORTE 9,590 9,180 410 4.3%
EL DORADO 93,000 90,500 2,600 2.8%
FRESNO 455,300 430,500 24,800 5.4%
GLENN 12,750 12,180 570 4.5%
HUMBOLDT 60,800 58,900 2,000 3.2%
IMPERIAL 70,500 59,200 11,300 16.0%
INYO 8,390 8,160 240 2.8%
KERN 392,700 368,500 24,200 6.2%
KINGS 56,300 53,000 3,200 5.8%
LAKE 29,100 27,870 1,230 4.2%
LASSEN 9,230 8,930 300 3.2%
LOS ANGELES 4,942,300 4,721,500 220,900 4.5%
MADERA 63,300 60,000 3,300 5.2%
MARIN 130,400 127,600 2,800 2.2%
MARIPOSA 7,470 7,200 270 3.7%
MENDOCINO 38,200 37,000 1,200 3.1%
MERCED 119,100 111,900 7,200 6.0%
MODOC 3,270 3,150 120 3.6%
MONO 8,760 8,460 300 3.4%
MONTEREY 219,600 210,700 8,900 4.0%
NAPA 70,700 68,800 1,900 2.6%
NEVADA 48,580 47,270 1,320 2.7%
ORANGE 1,603,800 1,560,000 43,800 2.7%
PLACER 193,200 188,300 4,900 2.5%
PLUMAS 7,830 7,480 350 4.4%
RIVERSIDE 1,166,600 1,120,500 46,100 4.0%
SACRAMENTO 726,200 700,500 25,700 3.5%
SAN BENITO 33,100 31,800 1,300 3.9%
SAN BERNARDINO 1,020,300 981,400 39,000 3.8%
SAN DIEGO 1,584,800 1,536,200 48,600 3.1%
SAN FRANCISCO 577,400 565,200 12,200 2.1%
SAN JOAQUIN 338,400 321,900 16,400 4.9%
SAN LUIS OBISPO 137,500 134,100 3,400 2.5%
SAN MATEO 457,000 448,100 8,900 1.9%
SANTA BARBARA 226,400 220,400 6,100 2.7%
SANTA CLARA 1,057,200 1,034,900 22,400 2.1%
SANTA CRUZ 137,600 132,900 4,700 3.4%
SHASTA 72,400 69,600 2,800 3.8%
SIERRA 1,420 1,380 40 2.5%
SISKIYOU 16,760 16,030 730 4.3%
SOLANO 201,400 193,700 7,700 3.8%
SONOMA 250,800 244,400 6,400 2.5%
STANISLAUS 241,200 229,700 11,500 4.8%
SUTTER 45,900 43,500 2,400 5.3%
TEHAMA 26,230 25,170 1,060 4.0%
TRINITY 4,560 4,410 160 3.4%
TULARE 206,000 190,600 15,400 7.5%
TUOLUMNE 19,950 19,200 750 3.8%
VENTURA 413,700 400,200 13,500 3.3%
YOLO 109,000 105,600 3,400 3.1%
YUBA 31,100 29,500 1,500 4.9%