Department of Numbers

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for San Jose fell 0.4 percentage points in April 2013 to 7.1%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.9 percentage points lower than the California rate. The unemployment rate in San Jose peaked in September 2009 at 11.6% and is now 4.5 percentage points lower. You can also compare San Jose unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate April 2013 Month/Month Year/Year
National 7.5% -0.1 -0.6
California 9.0% -0.4 -1.7
San Jose 7.1% -0.4 -1.7
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with April 2013 data as May metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: San Jose, California, National

San Jose, California monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

San Jose, California Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in San Jose peaked in January 2010 at 104,974. There are now 37,607 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. San Jose employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in San Jose, California) is also available.

Unemployed Persons April 2013 Month/Month Year/Year
San Jose 67,367 -3,411 -14,728

Number of Unemployed Persons

San Jose, California Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
California
Unemployment Rate
San Jose
Unemployment Rate
San Jose
Unemployed
May
2013
7.6%
April
2013
7.5% 9.0% 7.1% 67,367
March
2013
7.6% 9.4% 7.5% 70,778
February
2013
7.7% 9.6% 7.7% 73,370
January
2013
7.9% 9.8% 8.0% 75,149
December
2012
7.8% 9.8% 8.0% 75,729
November
2012
7.8% 9.9% 8.1% 76,438
October
2012
7.9% 10.1% 8.2% 77,367
September
2012
7.8% 10.2% 8.3% 78,449
August
2012
8.1% 10.4% 8.5% 79,538
July
2012
8.2% 10.6% 8.6% 80,473
June
2012
8.2% 10.6% 8.7% 81,164
May
2012
8.2% 10.7% 8.7% 81,653

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.