Counties with the highest unemployment in California
Counties with the highest unemployment in California
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in California using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in California.
#58. San Mateo County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 442,234 people (16,306 unemployed)
#57. San Francisco County/city
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 558,103 people (21,370 unemployed)
#56. Marin County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 133,298 people (5,323 unemployed)
#55. Mono County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,843 people (404 unemployed)
#54. Orange County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1.6 million people (67,246 unemployed)
#53. San Luis Obispo County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 136,912 people (5,949 unemployed)
#52. Santa Clara County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1.0 million people (44,699 unemployed)
#51. Sonoma County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 250,809 people (11,112 unemployed)
#50. Napa County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 72,502 people (3,246 unemployed)
#49. Inyo County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,502 people (388 unemployed)
#48. Placer County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 197,914 people (9,063 unemployed)
#47. San Diego County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1.6 million people (76,101 unemployed)
#46. Nevada County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 50,156 people (2,385 unemployed)
#45. Alameda County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 826,089 people (40,580 unemployed)
#44. El Dorado County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 95,573 people (4,775 unemployed)
#43. Contra Costa County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 552,124 people (27,807 unemployed)
#42. Los Angeles County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5.0 million people (252,937 unemployed)
#41. Ventura County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 414,765 people (20,994 unemployed)
#40. Sacramento County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 742,120 people (39,119 unemployed)
#39. San Bernardino County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1.0 million people (55,512 unemployed)
#38. Calaveras County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,261 people (1,231 unemployed)
#37. Riverside County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1.2 million people (65,018 unemployed)
#36. Solano County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 205,351 people (11,697 unemployed)
#35. Santa Barbara County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 216,771 people (12,424 unemployed)
#34. Humboldt County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 61,096 people (3,575 unemployed)
#33. Amador County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,648 people (898 unemployed)
#32. Alpine County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 648 people (40 unemployed)
#31. Mendocino County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 37,988 people (2,344 unemployed)
#30. Tuolumne County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,291 people (1,278 unemployed)
#29. Yolo County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 111,728 people (7,038 unemployed)
#28. Del Norte County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,245 people (615 unemployed)
#27. Butte County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 93,628 people (6,391 unemployed)
#26. Mariposa County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,522 people (517 unemployed)
#25. Shasta County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 75,084 people (5,162 unemployed)
#24. Lake County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,701 people (2,086 unemployed)
#23. Sierra County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,323 people (96 unemployed)
#22. Tehama County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,431 people (1,936 unemployed)
#21. San Joaquin County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 350,976 people (26,562 unemployed)
#20. Trinity County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,600 people (355 unemployed)
#19. Lassen County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,596 people (670 unemployed)
#18. Stanislaus County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 248,532 people (19,416 unemployed)
#17. San Benito County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 32,396 people (2,573 unemployed)
#16. Santa Cruz County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 133,255 people (10,615 unemployed)
#15. Glenn County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,741 people (1,027 unemployed)
#14. Yuba County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 32,758 people (2,816 unemployed)
#13. Siskiyou County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,066 people (1,521 unemployed)
#12. Madera County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 67,841 people (6,101 unemployed)
#11. Fresno County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 469,382 people (44,634 unemployed)
#10. Sutter County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 47,461 people (4,847 unemployed)
#9. Kern County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 400,783 people (41,016 unemployed)
#8. Modoc County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,218 people (338 unemployed)
#7. Kings County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 60,239 people (6,340 unemployed)
#6. Monterey County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 11.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 215,880 people (24,555 unemployed)
#5. Merced County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 11.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 121,888 people (14,542 unemployed)
#4. Plumas County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 12.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,330 people (894 unemployed)
#3. Tulare County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 12.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 216,832 people (26,759 unemployed)
#2. Imperial County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 17.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 74,405 people (12,785 unemployed)
#1. Colusa County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 20.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,166 people (2,283 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
