IMPORTANT NOTE: Employment data for the month of November 2021 are taken from the survey week including November 12. Data for the month of December is expected to be released on January 21, 2022.
December 17, 2021 – SACRAMENTO – The unemployment rate in California has fallen to 6.9%1 in November as state employers created 45,700 non-farm salaried jobs2 to the economy, according to data released today by the California Employment Development Department (EDD) from two surveys. Thanks to job growth in November, the state has now recovered 1,889,000, or nearly 70%, of the 2,714,800 jobs lost in March and April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Californian labor market, in figures …
- Since February 2021, California has created a total of 977,200 non-farm jobs, an average of a gain of 97,720 jobs per month for this period.
- California’s gain of 45,700 non-farm jobs in November 2021 accounted for nearly 22% of the nation’s 210,000 overall jobs for the month.
- Eight of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs in November, with professional and business services (+18,800) leading the way due to large gains in professional, scientific and technical services thanks, in part, to the increase scientific research and development services and computer systems. Design and related services.
- Education and health services (+9,500) also posted good month-over-month employment gains on the strength of outpatient health care services and education services.
- The large loss in construction (-1,700) was largely attributable to reductions in trade contractors.
1. The unemployment rate is derived from a separate federal survey of 5,100 California households.
2. Non-farm payroll employment figures come from a federal survey of 80,000 California businesses.
Trends in employment data in the economy
Total number of paid non-farm jobs
This comes from a monthly survey of around 80,000 California businesses that assesses jobs in the economy – seasonally adjusted.
- Month after – The total number of non-farm jobs in California’s top 11 industries stood at 16,835,100 in November, a net gain of 45,700 jobs since October 2021. This follows an upward revised monthly gain ( +14,800) of 111,600 jobs in October.
- More year – The total number of non-farm jobs increased by 821,800 (an increase of 5.1%) from November 2020 to November 2021 compared to the annual gain of 5,802,000 jobs in the United States (an increase of 4.1 %).

Agricultural jobs in total – The number of jobs in the agricultural industry increased from 17,000 from October 2021 to 433,500 jobs in November. The agriculture industry has 19,800 more farm jobs in November 2021 than in November a year ago.
Trends in data on workers in the economy
Employment and unemployment in California
This information is based on a monthly federal survey of 5,100 California households that focuses on workers in the economy.
- Employee – The number of Californians employed in November was 17,719,400, an increase of 79,900 from the total of 17,639,500 in October and 735,500 from the total employment in November of last year .
- Unemployed – The number of unemployed Californians was 1,321,300 in November, down 61,900 for the month and down 299,400 from November last year.

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 appears in the state’s unemployment rate, 434,676 people were certified for UI benefits during the sample week of November 2021. This compares to 463,257 people in October and 1,278,220 people in November 2020. At the same time, 52,716 initial requests were processed during the sampling week of November 2021, which represents a monthly decrease of 7,163 requests compared to October and an annual decrease of 116,272 requests from November 2020.

COUNTY | WORKFORCE | USE | UNEMPLOYMENT | RATE |
---|---|---|---|---|
TOTAL STATE | 19 178 900 | 18 138 400 | 1,040,500 | 5.4% |
ALAMEDA | 813,300 | 778,800 | 34,600 | 4.3% |
ALPINE | 500 | 460 | 30 | 6.5% |
AMATEUR | 14 630 | 13,890 | 740 | 5.1% |
BUTTE | 94,000 | 89,400 | 4,600 | 4.9% |
CALAVERAS | 21,500 | 20,610 | 900 | 4.2% |
COLUSA | 10 630 | 9,530 | 1,100 | 10.3% |
CONTRA COSTA | 542,600 | 517,800 | 24,800 | 4.6% |
NORTH LED | 9,250 | 8,740 | 520 | 5.6% |
ELDORADO | 92,000 | 88,300 | 3,800 | 4.1% |
FRESNO | 445,100 | 413,800 | 31,300 | 7.0% |
GLENN | 12,500 | 11 870 | 630 | 5.1% |
HUMBOLDT | 60,600 | 58,000 | 2,600 | 4.3% |
IMPERIAL | 68,000 | 57,500 | 10,500 | 15.5% |
INYO | 8 190 | 7 840 | 350 | 4.3% |
KERN | 388,800 | 360 100 | 28,700 | 7.4% |
Kings | 55,800 | 51,800 | 4,100 | 7.3% |
LAKE | 28,340 | 26 690 | 1650 | 5.8% |
LASSEN | 10,040 | 9 650 | 390 | 3.8% |
LOS ANGELES | 5,084,300 | 4 722 100 | 362,200 | 7.1% |
MADEIRA | 61,100 | 57,000 | 4,100 | 6.7% |
MARINE | 134,700 | 130,700 | 3,900 | 2.9% |
MARIPOSE | 7 170 | 6,770 | 400 | 5.5% |
MENDOCINO | 36,400 | 34 670 | 1730 | 4.7% |
MERCED | 114,800 | 106,000 | 8,800 | 7.6% |
MODOC | 3,330 | 3 170 | 150 | 4.6% |
MONO | 7,900 | 7,490 | 410 | 5.2% |
MONTEREY | 217,100 | 205,100 | 12,000 | 5.5% |
PANA | 68,600 | 65,700 | 2,900 | 4.2% |
NEVADA | 47 860 | 45 970 | 1,890 | 3.9% |
ORANGE | 1,593,300 | 1,528,500 | 64,700 | 4.1% |
TO PLACE | 188,100 | 181,500 | 6,600 | 3.5% |
FEATHERS | 7,400 | 6,880 | 520 | 7.0% |
RIVER EDGE | 1,131,100 | 1,070,000 | 61,100 | 5.4% |
SACRAMENT | 715,700 | 679,200 | 36,500 | 5.1% |
SAN BÉNITO | 31,700 | 29,900 | 1700 | 5.4% |
SAN BERNARDINO | 993,200 | 938 800 | 54,400 | 5.5% |
SAN DIEGO | 1,563,700 | 1,492,400 | 71,300 | 4.6% |
SAN FRANCISCO | 565,600 | 546,800 | 18,800 | 3.3% |
SAN JOAQUIN | 330,100 | 308,500 | 21,700 | 6.6% |
SAN LUIS OBISPO | 133,700 | 128,800 | 4,900 | 3.6% |
SAN MATEO | 445,000 | 431,300 | 13,600 | 3.1% |
SANTA BARBARE | 220,600 | 212,000 | 8,600 | 3.9% |
SANTA CLARA | 1,037,100 | 1,004,200 | 32,900 | 3.2% |
SANTA CRUZ | 133,100 | 126,600 | 6,600 | 4.9% |
SHASTA | 75,000 | 71,300 | 3,700 | 4.9% |
SIERRA | 1360 | 1,300 | 60 | 4.1% |
SISKIYOU | 16,940 | 15 970 | 970 | 5.7% |
SOLANO | 202,700 | 191,700 | 11,000 | 5.4% |
SONOMA | 247,600 | 238,400 | 9,200 | 3.7% |
STANISLAS | 241,300 | 226,400 | 14,900 | 6.2% |
SUTTER | 45,700 | 42,600 | 3,100 | 6.7% |
TEHAMA | 25,910 | 24,580 | 1330 | 5.1% |
TRINITY | 4,520 | 4,320 | 200 | 4.4% |
TULAR | 200 300 | 183,800 | 16,500 | 8.2% |
TUOLUMNE | 19,610 | 18,540 | 1,070 | 5.4% |
VENTURA | 412,300 | 394,000 | 18,300 | 4.4% |
YOLO | 106,800 | 102,200 | 4,500 | 4.3% |
YUBA | 30,400 | 28,500 | 1900 | 6.4% |
Source: EDD