Department of Numbers

Bakersfield, California Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Bakersfield fell 1.4 percentage points in November 2021 to 8.9%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 2.0 percentage points higher than the California rate. The unemployment rate in Bakersfield peaked in April 2020 at 18.1% and is now 9.2 percentage points lower. You can also compare Bakersfield unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate November 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 4.2% -0.4 -2.5
California 6.9% -0.4 -1.8
Bakersfield 8.9% -1.4 -1.1
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with November 2021 data as December metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Bakersfield, California, National

Bakersfield, California monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Bakersfield, California Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Bakersfield peaked in April 2020 at 68,675. There are now 34,867 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Bakersfield employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Bakersfield, California) is also available.

Unemployed Persons November 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Bakersfield 33,808 -5,538 -4,191

Number of Unemployed Persons

Bakersfield, California Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 California
Unemployment Rate		 Bakersfield
Unemployment Rate		 Bakersfield
Unemployed
December
2021		 3.9% — — —
November
2021		 4.2% 6.9% 8.9% 33,808
October
2021		 4.6% 7.3% 10.3% 39,346
September
2021		 4.7% 7.5% 10.5% 39,902
August
2021		 5.2% 7.5% 10.5% 40,000
July
2021		 5.4% 7.6% 10.4% 39,558
June
2021		 5.9% 7.6% 10.3% 39,184
May
2021		 5.8% 7.7% 10.1% 38,504
April
2021		 6.0% 8.0% 10.0% 38,017
March
2021		 6.0% 8.3% 9.9% 37,767
February
2021		 6.2% 8.5% 10.0% 37,938
January
2021		 6.4% 9.0% 9.6% 36,171

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. ↩

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