Department of Numbers

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for San Diego fell 0.3 percentage points in December 2011 to 9.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.8 percentage points lower than the California rate. The unemployment rate in San Diego peaked in January 2010 at 10.6% and is now 1.3 percentage points lower. You can also compare San Diego unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate December 2011 Month/Month Year/Year
National 8.5% -0.2 -0.9
California 11.1% -0.2 -1.4
San Diego 9.3% -0.3 -1.3
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with December 2011 data as January metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: San Diego, California, National

San Diego, California monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

San Diego, California Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in San Diego peaked in February 2010 at 165,347. There are now 18,008 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. San Diego employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in San Diego, California) is also available.

Unemployed Persons December 2011 Month/Month Year/Year
San Diego 147,339 -3,524 -17,079

Number of Unemployed Persons

San Diego, California Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
California
Unemployment Rate
San Diego
Unemployment Rate
San Diego
Unemployed
January
2012
8.3%
December
2011
8.5% 11.1% 9.3% 147,339
November
2011
8.7% 11.3% 9.6% 150,863
October
2011
8.9% 11.7% 9.8% 154,940
September
2011
9.0% 11.9% 10.0% 156,691
August
2011
9.1% 12.1% 10.1% 158,468
July
2011
9.1% 12.0% 10.1% 158,564
June
2011
9.1% 11.8% 10.0% 156,481
May
2011
9.0% 11.7% 9.9% 154,996
April
2011
9.0% 11.8% 10.1% 156,616
March
2011
8.9% 12.0% 10.1% 158,054
February
2011
9.0% 12.1% 10.2% 159,323
January
2011
9.1% 12.4% 10.4% 161,881

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers.