Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.
As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.
To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in California using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.
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#58. San Mateo County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 456,969 (8,898 unemployed)
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#57. San Francisco
- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -2.0%
- Total labor force: 577,441 (12,192 unemployed)
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#56. Santa Clara County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.7%
- Total labor force: 1,057,241 (22,390 unemployed)
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#55. Marin County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 130,393 (2,807 unemployed)
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#53. San Luis Obispo County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.7%
- Total labor force: 137,505 (3,384 unemployed)
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#52. Sierra County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 1,417 (36 unemployed)
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#51. Sonoma County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 250,797 (6,366 unemployed)
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#50. Napa County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 70,669 (1,855 unemployed)
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#49. Nevada County
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#48. Orange County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -2.3%
- Total labor force: 1,603,801 (43,764 unemployed)
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#47. Santa Barbara County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 226,433 (6,053 unemployed)
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#46. El Dorado County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -2.0%
- Total labor force: 93,036 (2,562 unemployed)
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#45. Inyo County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 8,393 (236 unemployed)
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#44. Alameda County
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#43. Calaveras County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 22,199 (653 unemployed)
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#42. Contra Costa County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -2.2%
- Total labor force: 554,742 (17,023 unemployed)
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#41. Mendocino County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 38,198 (1,195 unemployed)
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#40. San Diego County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -2.3%
- Total labor force: 1,584,822 (48,605 unemployed)
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#38. Humboldt County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 60,833 (1,960 unemployed)
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#37. Lassen County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
- Total labor force: 9,227 (297 unemployed)
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#36. Ventura County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 413,694 (13,498 unemployed)
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#35. Mono County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 8,756 (295 unemployed)
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#34. Santa Cruz County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.7%
- Total labor force: 137,579 (4,722 unemployed)
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#33. Trinity County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 4,561 (156 unemployed)
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#32. Sacramento County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -2.4%
- Total labor force: 726,207 (25,707 unemployed)
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#31. Modoc County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 3,268 (119 unemployed)
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#30. Butte County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 93,445 (3,492 unemployed)
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#29. Mariposa County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 7,473 (274 unemployed)
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#28. Amador County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -2.0%
- Total labor force: 14,530 (551 unemployed)
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#27. San Bernardino County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -2.6%
- Total labor force: 1,020,341 (38,960 unemployed)
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#26. Shasta County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 72,377 (2,783 unemployed)
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#25. Solano County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -2.5%
- Total labor force: 201,406 (7,695 unemployed)
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#24. Tuolumne County
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#23. San Benito County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 33,063 (1,299 unemployed)
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#22. Monterey County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
- Total labor force: 219,617 (8,884 unemployed)
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#21. Riverside County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -2.4%
- Total labor force: 1,166,597 (46,122 unemployed)
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#20. Tehama County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 26,227 (1,059 unemployed)
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#18. Del Norte County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.7%
- Total labor force: 9,593 (413 unemployed)
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#17. Siskiyou County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 16,755 (728 unemployed)
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#16. Plumas County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -2.8%
- Total labor force: 7,826 (347 unemployed)
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#15. Glenn County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 12,745 (570 unemployed)
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#14. Los Angeles County
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#13. Stanislaus County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -2.1%
- Total labor force: 241,208 (11,509 unemployed)
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#12. San Joaquin County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -2.4%
- Total labor force: 338,361 (16,416 unemployed)
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#11. Yuba County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -2.1%
- Total labor force: 31,065 (1,521 unemployed)
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#10. Alpine County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -3.7%
- Total labor force: 457 (23 unemployed)
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#8. Sutter County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 45,944 (2,432 unemployed)
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#7. Fresno County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -2.2%
- Total labor force: 455,311 (24,764 unemployed)
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#6. Kings County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -2.0%
- Total labor force: 56,252 (3,241 unemployed)
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#5. Merced County
- Current unemployment rate: 6.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -2.0%
- Total labor force: 119,118 (7,193 unemployed)
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#3. Colusa County
- Current unemployment rate: 7.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 11,441 (798 unemployed)
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#2. Tulare County
- Current unemployment rate: 7.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 205,963 (15,378 unemployed)
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#1. Imperial County
- Current unemployment rate: 16.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 70,455 (11,285 unemployed)
