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California Gained 6,800 Nonfarm Payroll Jobs in August 2024

Published:

NR No. 24-32
Contact: Loree Levy/Greg Lawson
916-654-9029
mediainquiries@edd.ca.gov

Important Note: The employment data for the month of August 2024 is taken from the survey week including August 12. Data for September is scheduled for release in October 18, 2024.

Unemployment Rate is 5.3 Percent

SACRAMENTO – California’s employers added 6,800 nonfarm payroll jobs1 in August 2024, while the unemployment rate moved  to 5.3 percent2 after three consecutive months at 5.2 percent, according to data from two separate surveys released by the Employment Development Department (EDD). August’s job gain follows a revised job gain of 29,900 for the previous month.

The California unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in May 2024, down slightly from the previous month.
California payroll jobs totaled 18,033,900 in May 2024, up 43,700 from Apr. and up 207,700 from May of last year.

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

  • Over the past year, California employers have added 287,100 nonfarm jobs. That averages out to 23,925 jobs gained per month since August 2023.
  • Year-over, California’s job growth (+1.6 percent) has outpaced the nation (+1.5 percent).
  • Five of California's 11 industry sectors gained jobs in August with the largest increase occurring with Leisure & Hospitality (+6,800) led by gains in Accommodation and Food Services (+4,600).
  • Private Education and Health Services (+4,900) also showed a noticeable increase with above-average gains in Ambulatory Health Care Services, Hospitals, and Nursing and Residential Care Facilities.
  • Government (-2,200) job losses were entirely in State Government (-17,200), while both Federal and Local Government continued to show job increases.
  • Information (-5,100) posted the largest job loss, partly due to losses in the Motion Picture and Video Production industry as it restructures after last year’s strike.

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 (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 amounted to 18,091,000 in August – a net gain of 6,800 from July. This followed an upward revised (+8,800) month-over gain of 29,900 jobs in July.
  • Year-over – Total nonfarm jobs increased by 287,100 (a 1.6 percent increase) from August 2023 to August 2024 compared to the U.S. annual gain of 2,358,000 jobs (a 1.5 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 May 2024. 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 (July 2024–August 2024) Year-over Change (August 2023–August 2024) Total Payroll Jobs as of August 2024

Leisure and Hospitality

 +6,800 +34,200 2,049,100

Private Education and Health Services

 +4,900 +157,600 3,282,800

Other Services

 +3,900 +9,400 600,400

Professional and Business Services

 +3,800 +33,800 2,786,800

Trade, Transp., Utilities

 +2,900 +16,800 3,118,200

Financial Activities 

 -100 -4,100 807,700

Mining and Logging

 -100 +200 19,700

Government

 -2.200 +82,300 2,687,900

Construction

 -3,300 +6,000 922,400

Manufacturing

 -4,700 -27,900 1,296,300

Information

 -5,100 -21,200 519,700

 

Total Farm Jobs – The number of jobs in the agriculture industry decreased from July by 1,100 to a total of 416,500 jobs in August. The agriculture industry had 8,900 more farm jobs in August 2024 than it did in August of last year.

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 August was 18,362,700, an increase of 8,700 persons from July’s total of 18,354,000, but down 27,800 from the employment total in August 2023.
  • Unemployed – The number of unemployed Californians was 1,020,000 in August, an increase of 11,300 over the month and up 83,900 in comparison to August 2023.
This table summarizes data from the prior text and adds that the civilian labor force (which is the labor force by place of residence, including workers involved in trading disputes) totaling 19,338,400 in May 2024, down 8,100 from Apr., but 28,300 from May of last year.
California Labor Force Month-over Change (July 2024–August 2024) Year-over Change (August 2023–August 2024)
* Civilian Labor Force (19,382,700) +20,000 +56,100
Total Civilian Employment (18,362,700) +8,700 -27,800
Unemployment (1,020,000) +11,300 +83,900

* 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 382,640 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits during the August 2024 sample week. That compares to 400,294 people in July and 394,757 people in August 2023. Concurrently, 39,023 initial claims were processed in the August 2024 sample week, which was a month-over decrease of 2,903 claims from July, but a year-over increase of 1,049 claims from August 2023.

In May 2024, there were 379,955 people receiving unemployment insurance benefits, down 31,458 from Apr. and down 11,049 from May of last year. Additionally, there were 38,893 new unemployment insurance claims in May 2023, down 6,243 from Apr. and down 5,480 from May of last year.

California Unemployment Insurance Claims Month-over Change (July 2024–August 2024) Year-over Change (August 2023–August 2024)
UI Recipients (382,640) -17,654 -12,117
New UI Claims (39,023) -2,903 +1,049
MONTHLY LABOR FORCE DATA FOR COUNTIES
August 2024 (Preliminary); 2023 Benchmark
NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED
COUNTY LABOR FORCE EMPLOYMENT UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
STATE TOTAL 19,489,400 18,348,900 1,140,500 5.9%
ALAMEDA 828,000 784,600 43,400 5.2%
ALPINE 520 480 40 7.8%
AMADOR 14,780 13,960 820 5.6%
BUTTE 92,700 86,800 5,800 6.3%
CALAVERAS 22,910 21,780 1,130 4.9%
COLUSA 11,200 10,180 1,030 9.2%
CONTRA COSTA 552,100 522,800 29,300 5.3%
DEL NORTE 9,510 8,930 580 6.1%
EL DORADO 94,900 90,400 4,500 4.8%
FRESNO 463,300 427,900 35,400 7.6%
GLENN 12,660 11,800 860 6.8%
HUMBOLDT 59,300 55,900 3,400 5.7%
IMPERIAL 76,600 61,100 15,500 20.2%
INYO 8,900 8,540 360 4.0%
KERN 401,100 366,400 34,700 8.6%
KINGS 59,100 54,300 4,800 8.2%
LAKE 28,920 27,160 1,760 6.1%
LASSEN 8,640 8,130 510 5.9%
LOS ANGELES 5,090,600 4,750,900 339,700 6.7%
MADERA 67,500 62,500 5,000 7.4%
MARIN 132,500 126,900 5,600 4.2%
MARIPOSA 8,200 7,810 400 4.8%
MENDOCINO 38,420 36,410 2,020 5.2%
MERCED 121,300 110,300 11,100 9.1%
MODOC 3,310 3,130 190 5.6%
MONO 9,300 8,910 390 4.2%
MONTEREY 229,700 216,900 12,800 5.6%
NAPA 73,200 70,100 3,100 4.3%
NEVADA 50,540 48,250 2,290 4.5%
ORANGE 1,595,400 1,523,100 72,300 4.5%
PLACER 197,500 188,400 9,100 4.6%
PLUMAS 7,800 7,340 460 5.8%
RIVERSIDE 1,167,700 1,095,800 71,900 6.2%
SACRAMENTO 742,300 702,700 39,700 5.3%
SAN BENITO 32,200 30,100 2,100 6.4%
SAN BERNARDINO 1,020,500 962,200 58,300 5.7%
SAN DIEGO 1,597,600 1,517,100 80,500 5.0%
SAN FRANCISCO 554,600 532,000 22,600 4.1%
SAN JOAQUIN 356,200 332,000 24,200 6.8%
SAN LUIS OBISPO 135,700 129,600 6,000 4.4%
SAN MATEO 439,000 421,600 17,300 4.0%
SANTA BARBARA 222,000 211,800 10,200 4.6%
SANTA CLARA 1,037,700 991,200 46,500 4.5%
SANTA CRUZ 135,100 127,300 7,800 5.8%
SHASTA 76,200 71,900 4,400 5.7%
SIERRA 1,420 1,350 70 4.6%
SISKIYOU 16,420 15,330 1,090 6.6%
SOLANO 205,500 193,800 11,700 5.7%
SONOMA 251,500 240,300 11,200 4.5%
STANISLAUS 250,900 233,300 17,600 7.0%
SUTTER 48,700 45,100 3,500 7.2%
TEHAMA 26,830 25,050 1,780 6.6%
TRINITY 4,870 4,610 260 5.3%
TULARE 216,500 194,200 22,300 10.3%
TUOLUMNE 20,860 19,680 1,170 5.6%
VENTURA 413,900 392,300 21,600 5.2%
YOLO 111,700 105,600 6,100 5.4%
YUBA 33,100 30,700 2,400 7.3%