California's Employment Development Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released California's June 2020 state jobs report today. Statewide nonfarm employment rose by an estimated 558,200 in June, and the May increase was revised downward from 141,600 to 134,200. The official unemployment rate was 14.9 percent, down from 16.4 percent in April and May but far above the estimate of 3.9 in February before the COVID-19 pandemic caused large-scale upheavals. The survey reflects job changes through the week of June 7 to June 13, after the state had been largely reopened but before the recent sharp increases in statewide case counts. California accounted for 11.6 percent of the national estimate of 4.8 million net jobs gained in June, in line with its 11.5 percent of the nation’s total payroll jobs as of February.
The figure below summarizes nonfarm employment by sector based on the monthly survey of employers. Overall employment in the state as of the middle of June was 11.0 percent below the level of February, somewhat worse than the national figure of 8.8 percent. California’s job gains in June were led by leisure and hospitality, health (mainly outpatient services), and retail. Those three sectors also added the most jobs at the national level. In general, California’s sectoral job loss pattern since February closely resembles the national pattern.
