Department of Numbers

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Santa Cruz fell 1.1 percentage points in November 2020 to 7.2%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.9 percentage points lower than the California rate. The unemployment rate in Santa Cruz peaked in April 2020 at 16.4% and is now 9.2 percentage points lower. You can also compare Santa Cruz unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate November 2020 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.7% -0.2 +3.1
California 8.1% -0.9 +4.2
Santa Cruz 7.2% -1.1 +2.7
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with November 2020 data as December metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Santa Cruz, California, National

Santa Cruz, California monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Santa Cruz, California Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Santa Cruz peaked in April 2020 at 22,179. There are now 12,904 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Santa Cruz employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Santa Cruz, California) is also available.

Unemployed Persons November 2020 Month/Month Year/Year
Santa Cruz 9,275 -1,511 +2,908

Number of Unemployed Persons

Santa Cruz, California Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 California
Unemployment Rate		 Santa Cruz
Unemployment Rate		 Santa Cruz
Unemployed
December
2020		 6.7% 9.0% — —
November
2020		 6.7% 8.1% 7.2% 9,275
October
2020		 6.9% 9.0% 8.3% 10,786
September
2020		 7.8% 11.1% 9.6% 12,253
August
2020		 8.4% 11.2% 9.6% 12,197
July
2020		 10.2% 13.5% 12.2% 15,620
June
2020		 11.1% 14.9% 14.2% 18,255
May
2020		 13.3% 16.4% 15.5% 20,151
April
2020		 14.8% 16.4% 16.4% 22,179
March
2020		 4.4% 5.5% 6.3% 8,905
February
2020		 3.5% 3.9% 4.4% 6,332
January
2020		 3.5% 3.9% 4.5% 6,378

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. ↩

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