- Home
- Statistics
- California
- Economy & jobs
- Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate in California
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 1976 – 2025
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1976 – 2025
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators
By year
All years · 1976 – 2025
| Year | California | Change | United States | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.5% | +0.2 pp | — | 4.8% |
| 2024 | 5.3% | +0.6 pp | — | 4.8% |
| 2023 | 4.7% | +0.4 pp | 3.6% | 4.8% |
| 2022 | 4.3% | −3.0 pp | 3.7% | 5.2% |
| 2021 | 7.3% | −2.8 pp | 5.4% | 6.0% |
| 2020 | 10.1% | +6.0 pp | 8.1% | 6.6% |
| 2019 | 4.1% | −0.2 pp | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2018 | 4.3% | −0.5 pp | 3.9% | 5.8% |
| 2017 | 4.8% | −0.7 pp | 4.4% | 5.9% |
| 2016 | 5.5% | −0.7 pp | 4.9% | 6.0% |
| 2015 | 6.2% | −1.4 pp | 5.3% | 6.0% |
| 2014 | 7.6% | −1.4 pp | 6.2% | 6.0% |
| 2013 | 9.0% | −1.4 pp | 5.3% | 6.1% |
| 2012 | 10.4% | −1.3 pp | 8.1% | 6.2% |
| 2011 | 11.7% | −0.6 pp | 9.0% | 6.1% |
| 2010 | 12.3% | +0.8 pp | 9.6% | 6.3% |
| 2009 | 11.5% | +4.2 pp | 9.3% | 6.4% |
| 2008 | 7.3% | +2.0 pp | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| 2007 | 5.3% | +0.4 pp | 4.6% | 5.8% |
| 2006 | 4.9% | −0.5 pp | 4.6% | 6.0% |
| 2005 | 5.4% | −0.8 pp | 5.1% | 6.2% |
| 2004 | 6.2% | −0.7 pp | 5.5% | 6.3% |
| 2003 | 6.9% | +0.2 pp | 6.0% | 6.5% |
| 2002 | 6.7% | +1.2 pp | 5.8% | 6.4% |
| 2001 | 5.5% | +0.6 pp | 4.8% | 6.2% |
| 2000 | 4.9% | −0.4 pp | 4.0% | 6.1% |
| 1999 | 5.3% | −0.7 pp | 4.2% | 6.3% |
| 1998 | 6.0% | −0.4 pp | 4.5% | 6.2% |
| 1997 | 6.4% | −0.9 pp | 4.9% | 6.0% |
| 1996 | 7.3% | −0.6 pp | 5.4% | 6.0% |
| 1995 | 7.9% | −0.8 pp | 5.6% | 5.9% |
| 1994 | 8.7% | −0.8 pp | — | 5.8% |
| 1993 | 9.5% | +0.1 pp | — | 5.5% |
| 1992 | 9.4% | +1.6 pp | — | 5.3% |
| 1991 | 7.8% | +2.0 pp | — | 5.1% |
| 1990 | 5.8% | +0.7 pp | — | — |
| 1989 | 5.1% | −0.2 pp | — | — |
| 1988 | 5.3% | −0.5 pp | — | — |
| 1987 | 5.8% | −1.0 pp | — | — |
| 1986 | 6.8% | −0.4 pp | — | — |
| 1985 | 7.2% | −0.6 pp | — | — |
| 1984 | 7.8% | −2.0 pp | — | — |
| 1983 | 9.8% | −0.3 pp | — | — |
| 1982 | 10.1% | +2.7 pp | — | — |
| 1981 | 7.4% | +0.5 pp | — | — |
| 1980 | 6.9% | +0.7 pp | — | — |
| 1979 | 6.2% | −0.9 pp | — | — |
| 1978 | 7.1% | −1.3 pp | — | — |
| 1977 | 8.4% | −0.8 pp | — | — |
| 1976 | 9.2% | — | — |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1976 – 2025
Ranking · Regions of United States
2024 · Place 1 is the highest value.
| # | Territory | Unemployment rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 5.3% | |
| 2 | Illinois | 5.0% | |
| 3 | Kentucky | 4.8% | |
| 4 | Michigan | 4.7% | |
| 5 | New Jersey | 4.6% | |
| 6 | Washington | 4.5% | |
| 7 | Ohio | 4.4% | |
| 8 | New York | 4.2% | |
| 9 | Texas | 4.1% | |
| 10 | Indiana | 4.0% | |
| 11 | Arizona | 3.7% | |
| 12 | Missouri | 3.7% | |
| 13 | Idaho | 3.6% | |
| 14 | Florida | 3.4% | |
| 15 | Tennessee | 3.4% | |
| 16 | Utah | 3.3% | |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 3.0% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2024
The share of people who want a job and are looking for one but do not have one.
Unemployed people divided by the labour force (employed plus unemployed), following the international definition; annual average.
Economy & jobs
California in numbers