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California Employers Gained 43,700 Nonfarm Payroll Jobs in May 2024

Published:

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

Important Note: The employment data for the month of May 2024 is taken from the survey week including May 12. Data for June is scheduled for release on July 19, 2024.

The State’s Unemployment Rate Fell to 5.2 percent

SACRAMENTO – California’s employers added 43,700 nonfarm payroll jobs1 in May 2024 – the largest such increase for the state since October of 2023 and a continuation of California’s 2024 job growth trend. In addition, the unemployment rate decreased to 5.2 percent2, according to data released by the Employment Development Department (EDD). May’s job gain follows a revised increase of 4,100 jobs for April 2024.

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...

  • The State’s jobs market expansion entered its 49th month in May 2024. Since May 2020, California has gained 3,100,400 jobs, which averages out to 63,273 per month.
  • California’s gain of 43,700 jobs for May 2024 accounted for 16.1 percent of the nation’s overall gain of 272,000 jobs, which is notably stronger than California’s 11 percent share of jobs nationally.
  • Eight of California's 11 industry sectors gained jobs in May with Leisure and Hospitality (+10,200) showing the best month-over increase thanks in part to California drying out from wet weather across the state earlier in the year. The industry also got a boost from jobs in Accommodations and Food Services (which includes fast-food restaurants) with a gain of 8,100 jobs in May after posting a gain of 5,900 the month prior.
  • Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+5,100) also showed noticeable growth as above-average gains were seen in the Truck Transportation and the Couriers and Messengers industry groups.
  • Information (-1,900) had the largest month-over reduction in jobs as it continues its four-month-long slide.

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 18,033,900 in May – a net gain of 43,700 from April. This followed a downward revised (-1,100) month-over gain of 4,100 jobs in April.
  • Year-over – Total nonfarm jobs increased by 207,700 (a 1.2 percent increase) from May 2023 to May 2024 compared to the U.S. annual gain of 2,756,000 jobs (a 1.8 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 (April 2024–May 2024) Year-over Change (May 2023–May 2024) Total Payroll Jobs as of May 2024

Leisure and Hospitality

+10,200 +40,100 2,048,000

Private Education and Health Services

+9,300 +158,300 3,244,700

Professional and Business Services

+9,000 -3,700 2,782,000

Government

+5,600 +59,400 2,659,200

Financial Activities 

+3,900 -9,800 805,100

Other Services

+3,700 +20,600 604,500

Construction

+2,800 +17,000 926,000

Trade, Transp., Utilities

+2,500 -10,400 3,104,100

Mining and Logging

0 +400 19,900

Manufacturing

-1,400 -21,600 1,313,000

Information

-1,900 -42,600 527,000

Total Farm Jobs – The number of jobs in the agriculture industry increased from April by 3,900 to a total of 410,600 jobs in May. The agriculture industry had 5,400 more farm jobs in May 2024 than it did in May 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 May was 18,328,600, an increase of 9,500 persons from April’s total of 18,319,100, but down 113,500 from the employment total in May 2023.
  • Unemployed – The number of unemployed Californians was 1,009,800 in May, a decrease of 17,700 over the month, but up 141,800 in comparison to May 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 (April 2024–May 2024) Year-over Change (May 2023–May 2024)
* Civilian Labor Force (19,338,400) -8,100 +28,300
Total Civilian Employment (18,328,600) +9,500 -113,500
Unemployment (1,009,800) -17,700 +141,800

* 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 379,955 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits during the May 2024 sample week. That compares to 411,413 people in April and 391,004 people in May 2023. Concurrently, 38,893 initial claims were processed in the May 2024 sample week, which was a month-over decrease of 6,243 claims from April and a year-over decrease of 5,480 claims from May 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 (April 2024–May 2024) Year-over Change (May 2023–May 2024)
UI Recipients (379,955) -31,458 -11,049
New UI Claims (38,893) -6,243 -5,480
MONTHLY LABOR FORCE DATA FOR COUNTIES
May 2024 (Preliminary); 2023 Benchmark
NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED
COUNTY LABOR FORCE EMPLOYMENT UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
STATE TOTAL 19,226,300 18,353,500 872,800 4.5%
ALAMEDA 817,700 786,000 31,700 3.9%
ALPINE 500 470 30 6.8%
AMADOR 14,530 13,900 630 4.3%
BUTTE 92,200 87,600 4,500 4.9%
CALAVERAS 22,270 21,410 860 3.9%
COLUSA 10,820 9,530 1,280 11.9%
CONTRA COSTA 545,600 524,400 21,200 3.9%
DEL NORTE 8,980 8,540 440 4.9%
EL DORADO 94,000 90,500 3,400 3.7%
FRESNO 458,400 425,500 32,900 7.2%
GLENN 12,690 11,970 720 5.7%
HUMBOLDT 60,200 57,700 2,500 4.1%
IMPERIAL 72,400 61,300 11,100 15.4%
INYO 8,500 8,230 260 3.1%
KERN 390,900 358,400 32,400 8.3%
KINGS 59,000 54,600 4,400 7.4%
LAKE 28,250 26,860 1,390 4.9%
LASSEN 8,520 8,120 400 4.7%
LOS ANGELES 5,017,400 4,758,800 258,600 5.2%
MADERA 66,100 61,500 4,500 6.8%
MARIN 131,400 127,500 3,900 3.0%
MARIPOSA 7,690 7,370 320 4.1%
MENDOCINO 37,480 35,940 1,540 4.1%
MERCED 120,800 110,400 10,500 8.7%
MODOC 3,260 3,090 170 5.2%
MONO 8,920 8,630 290 3.3%
MONTEREY 224,800 211,900 12,900 5.7%
NAPA 72,800 70,500 2,300 3.1%
NEVADA 48,460 46,740 1,720 3.5%
ORANGE 1,575,500 1,524,600 51,000 3.2%
PLACER 195,000 188,400 6,600 3.4%
PLUMAS 7,420 7,000 430 5.7%
RIVERSIDE 1,146,600 1,096,400 50,200 4.4%
SACRAMENTO 731,000 701,800 29,200 4.0%
SAN BENITO 31,900 30,000 1,800 5.8%
SAN BERNARDINO 1,003,100 960,200 42,900 4.3%
SAN DIEGO 1,580,100 1,522,600 57,500 3.6%
SAN FRANCISCO 550,800 534,100 16,700 3.0%
SAN JOAQUIN 351,400 331,900 19,500 5.5%
SAN LUIS OBISPO 135,800 131,800 4,000 3.0%
SAN MATEO 436,200 423,700 12,500 2.9%
SANTA BARBARA 220,700 213,300 7,400 3.3%
SANTA CLARA 1,023,100 988,500 34,600 3.4%
SANTA CRUZ 132,900 126,100 6,800 5.1%
SHASTA 74,000 70,600 3,400 4.6%
SIERRA 1,360 1,300 60 4.0%
SISKIYOU 16,390 15,480 910 5.5%
SOLANO 203,300 194,400 8,900 4.4%
SONOMA 248,800 240,700 8,100 3.3%
STANISLAUS 247,700 232,400 15,300 6.2%
SUTTER 47,700 44,000 3,600 7.6%
TEHAMA 25,850 24,480 1,370 5.3%
TRINITY 4,610 4,390 230 4.9%
TULARE 215,700 195,600 20,100 9.3%
TUOLUMNE 19,950 19,050 900 4.5%
VENTURA 413,000 397,700 15,200 3.7%
YOLO 109,600 105,000 4,700 4.2%
YUBA 32,300 30,300 2,000 6.1%