Department of Numbers

San Diego-Carlsbad, California Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for San Diego rose 0.1 percentage points in September 2023 to 3.9%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage points lower than the California rate. The unemployment rate in San Diego peaked in April 2020 at 16.4% and is now 12.5 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.2% in June 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.7 percentage points. You can also compare San Diego unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.8% 0.0 +0.3
California 4.7% +0.1 +0.7
San Diego 3.9% +0.1 +0.7
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with September 2023 data as October metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: San Diego, California, National

San Diego, California monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

San Diego, California Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in San Diego peaked in April 2020 at 251,531. There are now 189,700 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 50,227 in July 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 11,604. San Diego employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in San Diego, California) is also available.

Unemployed Persons September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
San Diego 61,831 +1,562 +10,561

Number of Unemployed Persons

San Diego, California Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
California
Unemployment Rate
San Diego
Unemployment Rate
San Diego
Unemployed
October
2023
3.9% 4.8%
September
2023
3.8% 4.7% 3.9% 61,831
August
2023
3.8% 4.6% 3.8% 60,269
July
2023
3.5% 4.6% 3.7% 59,150
June
2023
3.6% 4.6% 3.7% 59,001
May
2023
3.7% 4.5% 3.6% 58,145
April
2023
3.4% 4.5% 3.5% 56,432
March
2023
3.5% 4.4% 3.5% 55,502
February
2023
3.6% 4.4% 3.4% 53,982
January
2023
3.4% 4.2% 3.3% 52,575
December
2022
3.5% 4.1% 3.3% 52,040
November
2022
3.6% 4.1% 3.3% 52,072

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.