Department of Numbers

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for San Francisco rose 0.1 percentage points in May 2023 to 3.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.2 percentage points lower than the California rate. The unemployment rate in San Francisco peaked in April 2020 at 14.1% and is now 10.8 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.7% in June 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.6 percentage points. You can also compare San Francisco 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
San Francisco 3.3% +0.1 +0.5
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: San Francisco, California, National

San Francisco, California monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

San Francisco, California Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in San Francisco peaked in April 2020 at 349,198. There are now 263,839 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 68,431 in July 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 16,928. San Francisco employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in San Francisco, California) is also available.

Unemployed Persons May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
San Francisco 85,359 +3,031 +14,128

Number of Unemployed Persons

San Francisco, California Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
California
Unemployment Rate
San Francisco
Unemployment Rate
San Francisco
Unemployed
June
2023
3.6%
May
2023
3.7% 4.5% 3.3% 85,359
April
2023
3.4% 4.5% 3.2% 82,328
March
2023
3.5% 4.4% 3.1% 80,287
February
2023
3.6% 4.4% 3.0% 77,737
January
2023
3.4% 4.2% 2.9% 74,721
December
2022
3.5% 4.1% 2.9% 72,808
November
2022
3.6% 4.1% 2.9% 72,875
October
2022
3.7% 4.1% 2.8% 72,405
September
2022
3.5% 4.0% 2.8% 71,025
August
2022
3.7% 3.8% 2.7% 69,462
July
2022
3.5% 3.8% 2.7% 68,431

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.