California's reported unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) in April rose 0.1 point to 4.5% as the labor force showed minor gains.  The US rate improved by 0.1 point to 3.4%.

California had the 3rd highest unemployment rate among the states and DC.

Employment was up 25,300 (seasonally adjusted), the highest monthly gain since last May.  The April results finally reversed the dip in total employment since last June. US employment rose by 139,000. 

California unemployment rose 7,400, while US unemployment was down by 182,000.

California labor force numbers (seasonally adjusted) saw a positive gain of 32,700, pushing the labor force participation rate up 0.1 point to 62.4%.  The US labor force was essentially unchanged with a dip of 43,000, while the participation rate was unchanged at 62.6%.

Nonfarm wage and salary jobs were up 67,000 (seasonally adjusted), while the previously reported March gains were revised up by 3,200 to 11,900.

Nonfarm jobs nationally were up 235,000 in April.

The seasonally adjusted numbers for California showed gains in all but 2 industries, with the increases led by Health Care & Social Assistance (18,200), Accommodation & Food Services (7,200), and Arts, Entertainment & Recreation (5,900).  Losses were in Wholesale Trade (-900) and Mining & Logging (-100).

Using the unadjusted numbers to show a more detailed industry breakdown, blue collar, middle-class wage Transportation & Warehousing continues to show the strongest recovery compared to the pre-pandemic peak.  This industry is followed by Social Assistance—largely composed of government-funded In-home Supportive Services (IHSS)—and Utilities.  Weakest recovery continues to be the blue collar, higher-wage jobs in Mining & Logging targeted by state policy for reductions and in the lower-wage Accommodation jobs that were heavily impacted by the state shutdown policies.

California unfilled job openings at the end of March continued dropping to 0.911 million, down 74,000 from February and down 434,000 since the peak last May.  While unfilled job openings remain high and represent a potential source of growth for both state incomes and tax revenues, the downward trend since last November largely reflects businesses in the state pulling back on their hiring plans.  Nationally, job openings dropped 384,000 in March to 9.59 million.

The number of counties with an unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) at 10% or improved from 5 to 2 as seasonal hiring increased. The unadjusted rates ranged from 2.5% in San Mateo to 14.8% in Colusa.