How many jobs were lost in California last month?
Refreshed monthly
California lost 9,300 jobs in September 2026, ranking it 46th among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 19,700 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
-9.3K
month to month change in number of jobs (September 2026)
46th
rank among states in monthly job growth (September 2026)
California’s job loss of 9,300 in September 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was down from the 23,100 gain in August 2026.
During the latest five year period (October 2021 to September 2026), California gained jobs in 39 out of 60 months. September 2026 had the 16th-lowest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in October 2021 (244,600) while job growth was weakest in February 2024 (-71,200).
There were 9,300 fewer jobs in September 2026 in California than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, October 2021–September 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which California sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in September 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in September 2026 were private educational services, health care and social assistance, and professional, scientific, and technical services. Private educational services added 4,500 jobs, more than the entire economy. Health care and social assistance gained 3,500 jobs, while professional, scientific, and technical services added 2,100. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The three lowest-performing supersectors were accommodation and food services, arts, entertainment, and recreation, and non-durable goods. accommodation and food services lost 4,800 jobs in September 2026, while arts, entertainment, and recreation lost 4,800 jobs and non-durable goods lost 3,900 jobs.
Get weekly insights
Subscribe for data-driven insights. No spin, just the facts.
The health care and social assistance sector gained 3,500 jobs during September 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in California (September 2026)
How has California's job growth changed over time?
In 2025, California gained an average of 4,717 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 8,067, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as 16th-highest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 63,000 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 42,000 on average every month in 2015.
In 2025, California gained an average of 4,700 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among 25 metro areas primarily in California during September 2026 ranged from a loss of 5,900 jobs in the Los Angeles, CA area to a gain of 3,100 jobs in the San Diego, CA area.
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within California
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +3,100 | |
| 2. | +1,100 | |
| 3. | +1,100 | |
| 4. | +800 | |
| 5. | +400 | |
| 6. | +300 | |
| 7. | +300 | |
| 8. | +300 | |
| 9. | +200 | |
| 10. | +100 |
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
