July 2019 Jobs Report

California's Employment Development Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released California's July 2019 state jobs report Friday. Statewide nonfarm employment grew by an estimated 19,600 in July. This is somewhat below the average pace of the past 12 months. Still, the state has added around 20,000 jobs or more in nine of the last ten months. The official unemployment rate fell to the modern series low of 4.1 percent, matching the level of the second half of 2018.

The figure below summarizes nonfarm employment by sector based on the monthly survey of employers. The health/social services sector added the most jobs in July and has added far more jobs than any other sector over the past 12 months. This growth rate likely reflects demographic changes—as more Californians age—rather than broader economic or labor market forces. Overall employment in the state has grown 1.8 percent over the previous 12 months, slightly ahead of the national pace of 1.5 percent.