State Unemployment Rate Constant

EDD chart

Sonora, CA – California’s unemployment rate held steady, while Mother Lode numbers had one county’s rate steady and another’s slightly down.

Data released Friday by the California Employment Development Department (EDD) found the rate has remained at 4.5% for two consecutive months. As the state’s employers added 47,300 nonfarm payroll jobs to the economy that amounted to 14 percent of the national job gain of 339,000. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.7% last month. Total nonfarm employment for April 2023 was revised up by 2,900 jobs, according to EDD officials, who added, “The employment data for the month of May 2023 is taken from the survey week including May 12th.”

The Mother Lode’s labor market numbers were mixed, with Tuolumne County dipping from 4.9% in April to 4.8% in May. Calaveras remained constant at 3.9% for both months.

Eight of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs last month. Leading the way were private education and health services (+16,400), followed by professional and business services (+11,700). Two sectors showed losses: manufacturing (-5,700) and