The Center for Jobs and the Economy has released our initial analysis of the February Employment Report released by the California Employment Development Department. For additional information and data about the California economy visit centerforjobs.org/ca.

The February numbers reported below are based on surveys done the week of February 12.  Consequently, they do not yet incorporate the effects coming from domestic actions especially social distancing measures taken to control the spread of COVID-19. 

They do, however, especially in the far slower employment numbers, reflect production, jobs, and sales disruptions beginning in that month largely stemming from comparable shutdowns in China and the resultant disruptions to global supply chains.  Additional information on the economic effects coming from the current measures will become more apparent in the March numbers scheduled for release on April 17, with a more complete accounting in the April numbers scheduled for release on May 22. 

The weekly Unemployment Insurance initial claims data released on March 26 were the first indicator of the extent of the economic effects.  For the week ending March 21, California’s initial claims jumped 129,203 over the prior week to 186,809.  California’s reported total was the third highest behind Pennsylvania’s estimated 378,908 and Ohio’s estimated 187,784.  Expressed as a percentage of the February labor force, California was 39th highest at a weekly claims rate of 1.0% compared to Rhode Island at 6.3%, Nevada at 6.0%, and Pennsylvania at 5.8%.  While reflecting a sharp upward spike in absolute numbers, California’s relatively lower rate indicates that the economic effects are only beginning.

The Center will continue to highlight this information as it becomes available.

This month completes the annual data update process, with revisions now completed for the labor force numbers for 1990-2019 and industry employment, hours, and earnings data for 1990-2019, with the more extensive changes primarily affecting the Rail Transportation and Total Farm numbers.  We have also completed the legislative district estimates using that data and the 2018 American Community Survey results.  All data is now accessible at the center’s web site.

Unemployment rates by ethnicity/race were unchanged for all groups.  The data source for these rates differs from the reported numbers, with EDD estimating the demographic rates as a 12-month moving average from the core Current Population Survey data.  Labor force participation rates held steady for all groups.