Español

Print

California’s Unemployment Rate Rose Slightly to 5.4 Percent in October

Published:

NR No. 24-39
Contact: Loree Levy/Greg Lawson
916-654-9029
mediainquiries@edd.ca.gov

Important Note: The employment data for the month of October 2024 is taken from the survey week including October 12. Data for November is scheduled for release on December 20, 2024.

Employers Shed 5,500 Payroll Jobs for the Month

SACRAMENTO – California lost 5,500 nonfarm payroll jobs1 in October 2024 as the unemployment rate rose slightly to 5.4 percent2, up one tenth of a percentage point from September, according to data released by the Employment Development Department (EDD). October’s job loss follows a downward revised job gain of 12,700 for the previous month.

The California unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in September 2024, up slightly from the previous month.
California payroll jobs totaled 18,090,200 in October 2024, down 5,500 from September and up 212,100 from October of last year.

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

  • Since April 2020, California has gained 3,156,700 jobs – averaging 58,457 per month. While California lost 5,500 jobs in October, the nation only added 12,000 jobs overall.
  • Five of California's 11 industry sectors gained jobs in October with Private Education & Health Services (+9,400) experiencing month-over gains in 32 of the last 33 months.
  • Trade, Transportation, & Utilities (+2,600) showed an increase for the eighth consecutive month with majority gains occurring in Retail Trade and Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities as companies prepare for the holiday season.
  • Losses in Government (-7,500) are largely due to job losses in its State Government subsector (-10,900).
  • Professional and Business Services (-8,300) experienced the largest month-over decline, partly due to Employment Services as well as Waste Management and Remediation Services moving against their recent trends of gains, along with a potential hiring slowdown across the industry.

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

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

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 18,090,200 in October – a net loss of 5,500 from September. This followed a downward-revised (-2,000) month-over gain of 12,700 jobs in September.
  • Year-over – Total nonfarm jobs increased by 212,100 (a 1.2 percent increase) from October 2023 to October 2024 compared to the U.S. annual gain of 2,173,000 jobs (a 1.4 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.

 

  Month-over Change (September 2024–October 2024) Year-over Change (October 2023–October 2024) Total Payroll Jobs as of October 2024

Private Education and Health Services

+9,400 +142,800 3,296,100

Financial Activities 

+2,600 +2,600 815,100

Trade, Transp., Utilities

+2,600 +20,100 3,127,900

Construction

+1,200 -1,700 924,200

Other Services

+1,200 +8,600 602,500

Mining and Logging

0 0 19,800

Information

-1,500 -14,800 518,700

Manufacturing

-1,800 -37,900 1,294,100

Leisure and Hospitality

-3,400 +16,000 2,036,500

Government

-7,500 +56,300 2,677,100

Professional and Business Services

-8,300 +20,100 2,778,200

 

Total Farm Jobs – The number of jobs in the agriculture industry decreased from September by 900 to a total of 414,000 jobs in October. The agriculture industry had 9,400 fewer farm jobs in October 2024 than it did in October 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 October was 18,359,400, a decrease of 5,800 persons from September’s total of 18,365,200 but up 14,000 from the employment total in October 2023.
  • Unemployed – The number of unemployed Californians was 1,045,300 in October, an increase of 13,100 over the month and up 54,500 in comparison to October 2023.
Color representation of data presented in Unemployment Insurance Claims (not seasonally adjusted) accordion table
California Labor Force Month-over Change (September 2024–October 2024) Year-over Change (October 2023–October 2024)
* Civilian Labor Force (19,404,600) +7,200 +68,400
Total Civilian Employment (18,359,400) -5,800 +14,000
Unemployment (1,045,300) +13,100 +54,500

* 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 343,588 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits during the October 2024 sample week. That compares to 359,420 people in September and 356,668 people in October 2023. Concurrently, 40,831 initial claims were processed in the October 2024 sample week, which was a month-over increase of 2,747 claims from September as well as a year-over increase of 122 claims from October 2023.

Color representation of data presented in Unemployment Insurance Claims (not seasonally adjusted) accordion table

California Unemployment Insurance Claims Month-over Change (September 2024–October 2024) Year-over Change (October 2023–October 2024)
UI Recipients (343,588) -15,832 +13,080
New UI Claims (40,831) -2,747 +122

 

COUNTY LABOR FORCE EMPLOYMENT UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
STATE TOTAL 19,380,300 18,336,500 1,043,800 5.4%
ALAMEDA 820,900 781,000 39,900 4.9%
ALPINE 480 450 30 6.5%
AMADOR 14,580 13,820 760 5.2%
BUTTE 93,300 88,100 5,200 5.6%
CALAVERAS 22,500 21,480 1,020 4.5%
COLUSA 10,810 9,890 920 8.5%
CONTRA COSTA 547,100 520,100 27,000 4.9%
DEL NORTE 9,390 8,850 540 5.7%
EL DORADO 93,900 89,700 4,200 4.4%
FRESNO 457,600 424,200 33,500 7.3%
GLENN 12,960 12,220 740 5.7%
HUMBOLDT 61,500 58,500 3,000 4.8%
IMPERIAL 76,100 61,200 14,900 19.6%
INYO 8,540 8,220 320 3.8%
KERN 399,000 367,800 31,200 7.8%
KINGS 59,200 54,600 4,500 7.7%
LAKE 28,410 26,700 1,710 6.0%
LASSEN 9,160 8,700 450 4.9%
LOS ANGELES 5,081,000 4,773,000 307,900 6.1%
MADERA 65,500 60,900 4,600 7.0%
MARIN 130,800 125,800 5,000 3.9%
MARIPOSA 7,930 7,550 370 4.7%
MENDOCINO 37,870 35,990 1,880 5.0%
MERCED 121,900 112,100 9,700 8.0%
MODOC 3,290 3,120 170 5.2%
MONO 9,100 8,720 380 4.2%
MONTEREY 223,100 211,500 11,600 5.2%
NAPA 71,900 69,000 2,900 4.1%
NEVADA 49,120 47,010 2,110 4.3%
ORANGE 1,586,100 1,520,300 65,700 4.1%
PLACER 195,500 187,200 8,300 4.3%
PLUMAS 7,560 7,140 420 5.6%
RIVERSIDE 1,165,700 1,100,000 65,800 5.6%
SACRAMENTO 734,800 698,200 36,600 5.0%
SAN BENITO 32,100 30,100 2,000 6.1%
SAN BERNARDINO 1,019,600 965,700 54,000 5.3%
SAN DIEGO 1,589,500 1,515,400 74,100 4.7%
SAN FRANCISCO 550,700 530,200 20,500 3.7%
SAN JOAQUIN 355,300 332,700 22,700 6.4%
SAN LUIS OBISPO 134,400 129,100 5,400 4.0%
SAN MATEO 435,800 420,000 15,800 3.6%
SANTA BARBARA 220,400 211,000 9,300 4.2%
SANTA CLARA 1,030,900 988,400 42,500 4.1%
SANTA CRUZ 132,500 125,300 7,200 5.4%
SHASTA 74,900 70,900 4,000 5.3%
SIERRA 1,400 1,340 60 4.1%
SISKIYOU 17,310 16,330 990 5.7%
SOLANO 204,400 193,600 10,700 5.2%
SONOMA 248,300 238,000 10,300 4.1%
STANISLAUS 249,200 232,900 16,300 6.5%
SUTTER 47,500 44,300 3,200 6.7%
TEHAMA 26,720 25,120 1,600 6.0%
TRINITY 4,740 4,490 240 5.1%
TULARE 212,300 191,600 20,700 9.8%
TUOLUMNE 20,570 19,500 1,070 5.2%
VENTURA 412,500 392,400 20,100 4.9%
YOLO 110,100 104,600 5,500 5.0%
YUBA 32,600 30,400 2,200 6.7%