Counties with the highest unemployment in California

In November, the national unemployment rate changed very little from October, rising from 4.1% to 4.2%. It's been slightly elevated in recent months compared to levels a year ago—likely a symptom of the Federal Reserve's higher interest rates, which can slow hiring and decrease job openings. It's up from 3.7% the year before, but for comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, 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 October 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.

Despite the slight uptick in unemployment, the labor market added 227,000 jobs in November, according to the BLS. 

In the private sector, employment increased by 146,000 jobs, with 50,000 jobs added in education and health services and another 28,000 jobs in trade, transportation, and utilities, according to ADP's National Employment Report. While Sun Belt states saw growth in manufacturing roles, other jobs diminished in the sector across the Rust Belt, which continues to see losses. 

The labor market forecast for 2025 is still somewhat uncertain. The reelection of Donald Trump and his proposal to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico may send ripples throughout the economy. A tariff increase could create an inflationary environment, shifting the labor market as inflation inches toward the 2% goal.

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in California.

#25. San Bernardino County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1.0 million people (53,984 unemployed)

#24. Santa Cruz County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 132,477 people (7,172 unemployed)

#23. Plumas County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,558 people (420 unemployed)

#22. Butte County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 93,291 people (5,215 unemployed)

#21. Riverside County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1.2 million people (65,772 unemployed)

#20. Del Norte County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,385 people (537 unemployed)

#19. Glenn County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,957 people (738 unemployed)

#18. Siskiyou County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,314 people (989 unemployed)

#17. Tehama County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,715 people (1,597 unemployed)

#16. Lake County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,414 people (1,714 unemployed)

#15. San Benito County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 32,075 people (1,956 unemployed)

#14. Los Angeles County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5.1 million people (307,937 unemployed)

#13. San Joaquin County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 355,310 people (22,658 unemployed)

#12. Alpine County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 479 people (31 unemployed)

#11. Stanislaus County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 249,249 people (16,307 unemployed)

#10. Yuba County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 32,614 people (2,190 unemployed)

#9. Sutter County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 47,543 people (3,207 unemployed)

#8. Madera County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 65,538 people (4,593 unemployed)

#7. Fresno County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 457,642 people (33,450 unemployed)

#6. Kings County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 59,164 people (4,536 unemployed)

#5. Kern County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 399,005 people (31,159 unemployed)

#4. Merced County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 121,860 people (9,736 unemployed)

#3. Colusa County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,809 people (917 unemployed)

#2. Tulare County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 212,282 people (20,720 unemployed)

#1. Imperial County

- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 19.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 76,115 people (14,913 unemployed)

This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.