Fresno, California Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Fresno rose 0.1 percentage points in November 2023 to 7.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 2.7 percentage points higher than the California rate. The unemployment rate in Fresno peaked in April 2020 at 17.4% and is now 9.8 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 6.1% in May 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 1.5 percentage points. You can also compare Fresno unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | November 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year | 
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.7% | -0.1 | +0.1 | 
| California | 4.9% | +0.1 | +0.8 | 
| Fresno | 7.6% | +0.1 | +1.2 | 
Unemployment Rate: Fresno, California, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Fresno, California Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Fresno peaked in April 2020 at 77,357. There are now 42,228 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 27,378 in June 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 7,751. Fresno employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Fresno, California) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | November 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno | 35,129 | +504 | +5,755 | 
Number of Unemployed Persons
Fresno, California Unemployment History
| Date | National  Unemployment Rate  | 
     California  Unemployment Rate  | 
     Fresno  Unemployment Rate  | 
     Fresno  Unemployed  | 
  
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December  2023  | 
      3.7% | — | — | — | 
| November  2023  | 
      3.7% | 4.9% | 7.6% | 35,129 | 
| October  2023  | 
      3.8% | 4.8% | 7.5% | 34,625 | 
| September  2023  | 
      3.8% | 4.7% | 7.5% | 34,344 | 
| August  2023  | 
      3.8% | 4.6% | 7.4% | 34,320 | 
| July  2023  | 
      3.5% | 4.6% | 7.4% | 34,113 | 
| June  2023  | 
      3.6% | 4.6% | 7.4% | 34,085 | 
| May  2023  | 
      3.7% | 4.5% | 7.2% | 33,519 | 
| April  2023  | 
      3.4% | 4.5% | 7.0% | 32,366 | 
| March  2023  | 
      3.5% | 4.4% | 6.8% | 31,692 | 
| February  2023  | 
      3.6% | 4.4% | 6.6% | 30,511 | 
| January  2023  | 
      3.4% | 4.2% | 6.5% | 29,662 | 
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. ↩

