El Centro, California Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for El Centro rose 0.2 percentage points in March 2019 to 19.2%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 14.9 percentage points higher than the California rate. The unemployment rate in El Centro peaked in December 2010 at 29.6% and is now 10.4 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 17.6% in April 2018, the unemployment rate has now grown by 1.6 percentage points. You can also compare El Centro unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	March 2019	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	3.8%	0.0	-0.2
California	4.3%	+0.1	0.0
El Centro	19.2%	+0.2	+1.4

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with March 2019 data as April metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: El Centro, California, National

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

El Centro, California Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in El Centro peaked in December 2010 at 23,455. There are now 9,675 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 12,432 in May 2018, the number of unemployed has now grown by 1,348. El Centro employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in El Centro, California) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	March 2019	Month/Month	Year/Year
El Centro	13,780	+145	+1,209

Number of Unemployed Persons

El Centro, California Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	California Unemployment Rate	El Centro Unemployment Rate	El Centro Unemployed
April 2019	3.6%	—	—	—
March 2019	3.8%	4.3%	19.2%	13,780
February 2019	3.8%	4.2%	19.0%	13,635
January 2019	4.0%	4.2%	18.8%	13,498
December 2018	3.9%	4.1%	18.5%	13,219
November 2018	3.7%	4.1%	18.5%	13,243
October 2018	3.8%	4.1%	18.5%	13,253
September 2018	3.7%	4.1%	18.4%	13,143
August 2018	3.8%	4.1%	18.2%	12,944
July 2018	3.9%	4.1%	17.9%	12,707
June 2018	4.0%	4.2%	17.7%	12,522
May 2018	3.8%	4.2%	17.6%	12,432