Department of Numbers

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for San Francisco rose 0.1 percentage points in November 2023 to 3.9%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.0 percentage points lower than the California rate. The unemployment rate in San Francisco peaked in April 2020 at 14.1% and is now 10.2 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.7% in June 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 1.2 percentage points. You can also compare San Francisco unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate November 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.7% -0.1 +0.1
California 4.9% +0.1 +0.8
San Francisco 3.9% +0.1 +1.0
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with November 2023 data as December metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: San Francisco, California, National

San Francisco, California monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

San Francisco, California Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in San Francisco peaked in April 2020 at 349,198. There are now 250,507 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 68,431 in July 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 30,260. San Francisco employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in San Francisco, California) is also available.

Unemployed Persons November 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
San Francisco 98,691 +2,827 +25,816

Number of Unemployed Persons

San Francisco, California Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
California
Unemployment Rate
San Francisco
Unemployment Rate
San Francisco
Unemployed
December
2023
3.7%
November
2023
3.7% 4.9% 3.9% 98,691
October
2023
3.8% 4.8% 3.8% 95,864
September
2023
3.8% 4.7% 3.7% 93,143
August
2023
3.8% 4.6% 3.5% 90,520
July
2023
3.5% 4.6% 3.4% 87,965
June
2023
3.6% 4.6% 3.4% 87,384
May
2023
3.7% 4.5% 3.3% 85,526
April
2023
3.4% 4.5% 3.2% 82,328
March
2023
3.5% 4.4% 3.1% 80,287
February
2023
3.6% 4.4% 3.0% 77,737
January
2023
3.4% 4.2% 2.9% 74,721

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.