Beacon Employment Report California – Regional Overview

Regionally, job gains were led by Southern California. Los Angeles (MD) experienced the largest increase, where payrolls grew by 5,700 (0.1%) during the month. San Diego (5,600 or 0.4%), Orange County (5,000 or 0.3%), the Inland Empire (4,900 or 0.3%), and Ventura (2,000 or 0.7%) also saw their payrolls jump during the month. The Inland Empire (118.6%) has experienced the strongest recovery in the region, measured by the percentage of jobs recovered from April 2020 to March 2022 relative to the jobs lost from February 2020 to April 2020. The Inland Empire is followed by El Centro (105.1%), San Diego (93.1%), Los Angeles (MD) (82.3%), Orange County (80.8%), and Ventura (76.7%).

In the Bay Area, San Francisco (MD) experienced the largest increase, with payrolls expanding by 4,800 (0.4%) positions in March. San Jose (3,900 or 0.3%), the East Bay (3,300 or 0.3%), Santa Rosa (400 or 0.2%), and Vallejo (300 or 0.2%) also saw payrolls expand during the month. Since April 2020, San Jose (82.4%) has experienced the strongest recovery in the region, followed by the East Bay (81.1%), Napa (77.2%), Santa Rosa (76.5%), San Francisco (MD) (73.8%), Vallejo (67.9%), and San Rafael (MD) (62.6%).

In the Central Valley, Sacramento experienced the largest monthly increase, as payrolls expanded by 6,300 (0.6%) positions in March. Payrolls in Fresno (2,000 or 0.5%), Bakersfield (1,400 or 0.5%), Stockton (800 or 0.3%), Merced (500 or 0.7%), Chico (400 or 0.5%), Modesto (400 or 0.2%), Redding (400 or 0.6%), and Visalia (400 or 0.3%) increased steadily as well. Since April 2020, Stockton (126.7%) has experienced the strongest recovery in the region, followed by Yuba (124%), Visalia (122.1%), Madera (114%), Merced (110.2%), Redding (107.6%), Sacramento (106.4%), and Fresno (103.0%).

On California’s Central Coast, Santa Barbara added the largest number of jobs, with payrolls increasing by 1,000 (0.5%) during the month. Salinas (600 or 0.4%), Santa Cruz (600 or 0.6%), and San Luis Obispo (400 or 0.3%) also saw payrolls expand during the month. Since April 2020, and San Luis Obispo (91.8%) has experienced the strongest recovery in the region, followed by Santa Barbara (86.0%), Santa Cruz (82.3%), and Salinas (81.5%).