Department of Numbers

Bakersfield, California Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Bakersfield fell 0.4 percentage points in April 2022 to 7.1%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 2.5 percentage points higher than the California rate. The unemployment rate in Bakersfield peaked in May 2020 at 18.0% and is now 10.9 percentage points lower. You can also compare Bakersfield unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate April 2022 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.6% 0.0 -2.4
California 4.6% -0.2 -3.7
Bakersfield 7.1% -0.4 -4.1
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with April 2022 data as May 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 May 2020 at 68,626. There are now 41,315 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Bakersfield employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Bakersfield, California) is also available.

Unemployed Persons April 2022 Month/Month Year/Year
Bakersfield 27,311 -1,604 -15,924

Number of Unemployed Persons

Bakersfield, California Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 California
Unemployment Rate		 Bakersfield
Unemployment Rate		 Bakersfield
Unemployed
May
2022		 3.6% — — —
April
2022		 3.6% 4.6% 7.1% 27,311
March
2022		 3.6% 4.8% 7.5% 28,915
February
2022		 3.8% 5.3% 8.1% 31,252
January
2022		 4.0% 5.7% 8.6% 33,118
December
2021		 3.9% 5.8% 9.0% 34,873
November
2021		 4.2% 5.8% 9.0% 34,783
October
2021		 4.6% 6.1% 9.1% 35,249
September
2021		 4.7% 6.4% 9.6% 36,872
August
2021		 5.2% 7.0% 10.0% 38,721
July
2021		 5.4% 7.4% 10.5% 40,417
June
2021		 5.9% 7.9% 10.8% 41,673

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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