Department of Numbers

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Santa Cruz fell 0.1 percentage points in April 2021 to 6.9%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.4 percentage points lower than the California rate. The unemployment rate in Santa Cruz peaked in April 2020 at 16.9% and is now 10.0 percentage points lower. You can also compare Santa Cruz unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate April 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.1% +0.1 -8.7
California 8.3% 0.0 -7.7
Santa Cruz 6.9% -0.1 -10.0
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with April 2021 data as May 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 22,492. There are now 13,398 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 April 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Santa Cruz 9,094 -87 -13,398

Number of Unemployed Persons

Santa Cruz, California Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 California
Unemployment Rate		 Santa Cruz
Unemployment Rate		 Santa Cruz
Unemployed
May
2021		 5.8% — — —
April
2021		 6.1% 8.3% 6.9% 9,094
March
2021		 6.0% 8.3% 7.0% 9,181
February
2021		 6.2% 8.5% 7.2% 9,498
January
2021		 6.3% 9.0% 7.4% 9,688
December
2020		 6.7% 9.3% 7.4% 9,626
November
2020		 6.7% 8.7% 7.2% 9,421
October
2020		 6.9% 9.8% 9.0% 11,879
September
2020		 7.8% 10.6% 9.6% 12,605
August
2020		 8.4% 12.3% 10.4% 13,621
July
2020		 10.2% 13.2% 11.5% 15,060
June
2020		 11.1% 14.1% 13.1% 17,129

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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