Department of Numbers

El Centro, California Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for El Centro rose 0.4 percentage points in May 2023 to 16.7%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 12.2 percentage points higher than the California rate. The unemployment rate in El Centro peaked in November 2010 at 29.7% and is now 13.0 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 14.1% in June 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 2.6 percentage points. You can also compare El Centro unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.7% +0.3 +0.1
California 4.5% 0.0 +0.5
El Centro 16.7% +0.4 +2.5
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with May 2023 data as June metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: El Centro, California, National

El Centro, California monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

El Centro, California Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in El Centro peaked in November 2010 at 23,512. There are now 11,636 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 9,863 in May 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 2,013. El Centro employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in El Centro, California) is also available.

Unemployed Persons May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
El Centro 11,876 +231 +2,013

Number of Unemployed Persons

El Centro, California Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
California
Unemployment Rate
El Centro
Unemployment Rate
El Centro
Unemployed
June
2023
3.6%
May
2023
3.7% 4.5% 16.7% 11,876
April
2023
3.4% 4.5% 16.3% 11,645
March
2023
3.5% 4.4% 16.2% 11,557
February
2023
3.6% 4.4% 15.8% 11,231
January
2023
3.4% 4.2% 15.4% 10,937
December
2022
3.5% 4.1% 15.0% 10,676
November
2022
3.6% 4.1% 15.1% 10,695
October
2022
3.7% 4.1% 15.0% 10,658
September
2022
3.5% 4.0% 14.7% 10,466
August
2022
3.7% 3.8% 14.5% 10,222
July
2022
3.5% 3.8% 14.2% 9,996

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.