California’s unemployment rate improved to 5.1 percent in the state’s latest release, offering a broad signal of a labor market moving in the right direction.

The statewide number is useful, but incomplete. Hiring conditions vary substantially by region and industry, and a declining rate can reflect changes in both employment and labor-force participation.

The next useful comparison will be revised payroll estimates and county-level data, which can show whether gains are broad or concentrated in a smaller set of sectors.

Sources & methodology

This report was written from the primary materials below. Links open at the original publisher.

California Employment Development Department

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