Department of Numbers

El Centro, California Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for El Centro rose 0.5 percentage points in January 2023 to 15.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 10.8 percentage points higher than the California rate. The unemployment rate in El Centro peaked in November 2010 at 29.7% and is now 14.7 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 13.2% in August 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 1.8 percentage points. You can also compare El Centro unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.4% -0.1 -0.6
California 4.2% +0.1 -1.0
El Centro 15.0% +0.5 -1.1
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with January 2023 data as February 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 13,021 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 9,169 in August 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 1,322. El Centro employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in El Centro, California) is also available.

Unemployed Persons January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
El Centro 10,491 +391 -740

Number of Unemployed Persons

El Centro, California Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
California
Unemployment Rate
El Centro
Unemployment Rate
El Centro
Unemployed
February
2023
3.6%
January
2023
3.4% 4.2% 15.0% 10,491
December
2022
3.5% 4.1% 14.5% 10,100
November
2022
3.6% 4.1% 14.1% 9,789
October
2022
3.7% 4.1% 13.5% 9,359
September
2022
3.5% 4.0% 13.3% 9,184
August
2022
3.7% 3.8% 13.2% 9,169
July
2022
3.5% 3.8% 13.5% 9,373
June
2022
3.6% 3.9% 14.1% 9,845
May
2022
3.6% 4.0% 14.7% 10,264
April
2022
3.6% 4.1% 15.2% 10,653
March
2022
3.6% 4.4% 15.7% 11,006

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.