The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the population that is either employed or unemployed (that is, either working or actively seeking work). People with jobs are employed. People who are jobless, looking for a job, and available for work are unemployed. The labor force is made up of the employed and the unemployed. People who are neither employed nor unemployed are not in the labor force.

Graph and download economic data for Labor Force Participation Rate for California (LBSNSA06) from Jan 1976 to Aug 2025 about participation, labor force, labor, CA, rate, and USA.

This dataset contains non-seasonally adjusted California Labor Force Participation Rate by age groups, from the Current Population Survey (CPS). The age group ranges are as follows: 16-19; 20-24; 25-34; 35-44; 45-54; 55-64; 65+. This data is based on a 12-month moving average.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force for California (U3UNEM3CA) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about labor underutilization, civilian, labor force, 16 years +, labor, CA, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR
Unemployment (EC3)

FULL MEASURE NAME
Unemployment rate by residential location

LAST UPDATED
December 2022

DESCRIPTION
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force – by place of residence – that is not currently employed full-time or part-time. The unemployment rate reflects the strength of the overall employment market.

DATA SOURCE
California Employment Development Department: Historical Unemployment Rates
1990-2010
Spreadsheet provided by CAEDD

California Employment Development Department: Labor Force and Unemployment Rate for California Sub-County Areas - https://data.edd.ca.gov/Labor-Force-and-Unemployment-Rates/Labor-Force-and-Unemployment-Rate-for-California-S/8z4h-2ak6
2010-2022

California Employment Development Department: Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) - https://data.edd.ca.gov/Labor-Force-and-Unemployment-Rates/Local-Area-Unemployment-Statistics-LAUS-/e6gw-gvii
1990-2022

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) - https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la
1990-2021

CONTACT INFORMATION
vitalsigns.info@bayareametro.gov

METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator)
Unemployment rates produced by the CA Employment Development Department (EDD) for the region and county levels are not adjusted for seasonality (as they reflect annual data) and are final data (i.e., not preliminary). Unemployment rates produced by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the metro regions are annual and not adjusted for seasonality; they reflect the primary metropolitan statistical area (MSA) for the named region, except for the San Francisco Bay Area which uses the nine-county region. The unemployment rate is calculated based on the number of unemployed persons divided by the total labor force. Note that the unemployment rate can decline or increase as a result of changes in either variable.

Graph and download economic data for Persons Unemployed 15 Weeks or Longer, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force for California (U1UNEM1CA) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about 15 weeks +, labor underutilization, civilian, labor force, 16 years +, labor, CA, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Job Losers and Persons Who Completed Temporary Jobs, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force for California (U2UNEM2CA) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about job losers, labor underutilization, jobs, civilian, labor force, 16 years +, labor, CA, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

This dataset contains unemployment rates for the U.S. (1948 - Present) and California (1976 - Present). The unemployment rate represents the number of unemployed as a percentage of the labor force. Labor force data are restricted to people 16 years of age and older, who currently reside in 1 of the 50 states or the District of Columbia, who do not reside in institutions (e.g., penal and mental facilities, homes for the aged), and who are not on active duty in the Armed Forces. This rate is also defined as the U-3 measure of labor underutilization.

Percent of the total civilian labor force that is unemployed, California and San Diego County, 2015-2019. Source: State of California, Employment Development Department, Labor Market Information Division data.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for California (U4UNEM4CA) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, labor underutilization, civilian, workers, labor force, 16 years +, labor, CA, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

San Mateo County and Other Bay Area Counties Annual Unemployment Rate (not seasonally adjusted) for years 2000-2019 Compared to Marin County, San Francisco County, Santa Clara County, and the State of California. Data is non-preliminary.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed, Plus Discouraged Workers, Plus All Other Marginally Attached Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus All Marginally Attached Workers for California (U5UNEM5CA) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, marginally attached, labor underutilization, civilian, workers, labor force, 16 years +, labor, CA, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Labor Force Participation Rate for California was 62.40% in August of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Labor Force Participation Rate for California reached a record high of 67.70 in April of 1989 and a record low of 59.60 in May of 2020. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Labor Force Participation Rate for California - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on December of 2025.

VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR Unemployment (EC3)

FULL MEASURE NAME Unemployment rate by residential location

LAST UPDATED July 2019

DESCRIPTION Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force – by place of residence – that is not currently employed full-time or part-time. The unemployment rate reflects the strength of the overall employment market.

DATA SOURCE California Employment Development Department: Historical Unemployment Rates 1990-2018 https://data.edd.ca.gov/Labor-Force-and-Unemployment-Rates/Local-Area-Unemployment-Statistics-LAUS-Annual-Ave/7jbb-3rb8

CONTACT INFORMATION vitalsigns.info@bayareametro.gov

METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator) Unemployment rates produced by EDD for the region and county levels are not adjusted for seasonality (as they reflect annual data) and are final data (i.e., not preliminary). Unemployment rates produced by BLS for the metro regions are adjusted for seasonality; they reflect the primary MSA for the named region, except for the San Francisco Bay Area which uses the nine-county region. The unemployment rate is calculated based on the number of unemployed persons divided by the total labor force. Note that the unemployment rate can decline or increase as a result of changes in either variable.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers, Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus All Marginally Attached Workers for California (U6UNEM6CA) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about marginally attached, part-time, labor underutilization, civilian, workers, labor force, 16 years +, labor, CA, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Civilian Labor Force in Los Angeles County, CA (CALOSA7LFN) from Jan 1990 to Aug 2025 about Los Angeles County, CA; Los Angeles; civilian; labor force; labor; CA; and USA.

Number of persons in the labour force (employment and unemployment) and unemployment rate, by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), gender and age group.

Employment and unemployment data by city for places in San Mateo County. CDP is "Census Designated Place" - a recognized community that was unincorporated at the time of the 2000 Census.

1) Data may not add due to rounding. All unemployment rates shown are calculated on unrounded data. 2) These data are not seasonally adjusted.

Methodology: Monthly city and CDP labor force data are derived by multiplying current estimates of county employment and unemployment by the employment and unemployment shares (ratios) of each city and CDP at the time of the 2000 Census. Ratios for cities of 25,000 or more persons were developed from special tabulations based on household population only from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For smaller cities and CDP, ratios were calculated from published census data.

City and CDP unrounded employment and unemployment are summed to get the labor force. The unemployment rate is calculated by dividing unemployment by the labor force. Then the labor force, employment, and unemployment are rounded.

This method assumes that the rates of change in employment and unemployment, since 2000, are exactly the same in each city and CDP as at the county level (i.e., that the shares are still accurate). If this assumption is not true for a specific city or CDP, then the estimates for that area may not represent the current economic conditions. Since this assumption is untested, caution should be employed when using these data.

Number of persons in the labour force (employment and unemployment), unemployment rate, participation rate and employment rate by data type (seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle), gender and age group. Data are also available for the standard error of the estimate, the standard error of the month-to-month change and the standard error of the year-over-year change.

Number of persons in the labour force (employment and unemployment), unemployment rate, participation rate and employment rate by province, gender and age group. Data are presented for 12 months earlier, previous month and current month, as well as year-over-year and month-to-month level change and percentage change. Data are also available for the standard error of the estimate, the standard error of the month-to-month change and the standard error of the year-over-year change.