Bakersfield, California Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Bakersfield rose 0.2 percentage points in May 2021 to 10.2%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 2.3 percentage points higher than the California rate. The unemployment rate in Bakersfield peaked in April 2020 at 18.1% and is now 7.9 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 9.6% in January 2021, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.6 percentage points. You can also compare Bakersfield unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | May 2021 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 5.8% | -0.3 | -7.5 |
| California | 7.9% | -0.1 | -7.7 |
| Bakersfield | 10.2% | +0.2 | -7.2 |
Unemployment Rate: Bakersfield, California, National
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 30,085 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 36,171 in January 2021, the number of unemployed has now grown by 2,419. Bakersfield employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Bakersfield, California) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | May 2021 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | 38,590 | +573 | -27,883 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Bakersfield, California Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
California Unemployment Rate |
Bakersfield Unemployment Rate |
Bakersfield Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2021 |
5.9% | — | — | — |
| May 2021 |
5.8% | 7.9% | 10.2% | 38,590 |
| April 2021 |
6.1% | 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 |
6.3% | 9.0% | 9.6% | 36,171 |
| December 2020 |
6.7% | 9.3% | 10.5% | 40,268 |
| November 2020 |
6.7% | 8.7% | 10.0% | 37,999 |
| October 2020 |
6.9% | 9.8% | 11.9% | 46,118 |
| September 2020 |
7.8% | 10.6% | 13.4% | 50,776 |
| August 2020 |
8.4% | 12.3% | 13.9% | 52,752 |
| July 2020 |
10.2% | 13.2% | 14.7% | 55,681 |
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. ↩
Department of Numbers
The Department of Numbers contextualizes public data so that individuals can form independent opinions on everyday social and economic matters.
