Makrognosis

California Unemployment Rate

MonthlyNot seasonally adjustedCode US-CA.UNEMP.M.NSA

Latest5.1%September 2026
Previous5.4%August 2026
Year ago5.6%September 2025
Next release23 Nov 2026expected

California Unemployment Rate was 5.1% in September 2026, down 0.3 percentage points from August 2026 and down 0.5 percentage points from a year earlier.

Over the past ten years it has ranged from 3.6% (May 2019) to 15.7% (Apr 2020), averaging 5.6%.

The next update is expected on 23 November 2026.

California Unemployment Rate (%), Jan 1996 – Sep 20262.5%5.0%7.5%10.0%12.5%15.0%200020052010201520202025Robomacro
California Unemployment Rate (%), Jan 1996 – Sep 2026. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Showing the full history (downsampled for display). Open the interactive chart to zoom and switch transforms.

Recent data

PeriodValue
September 20265.1%
August 20265.4%
July 20265.3%
June 20265.2%
May 20264.7%
April 20265.0%
March 20265.2%
February 20265.5%
January 20265.5%
December 20255.1%
November 20255.4%
September 20255.6%
August 20255.8%
July 20255.9%
June 20255.6%
May 20255.0%
April 20255.1%
March 20255.5%
February 20255.6%
January 20255.6%
December 20245.1%
November 20245.3%
October 20245.3%
September 20245.2%

Last 24 observations. The full history (368 observations) is available through the API.

Get California Unemployment Rate in your code or spreadsheet

One guessable code, agency-direct, updated on release. Free tier available.

curl -H "X-API-Key: $MAKROGNOSIS_KEY" \
  "https://makrognosis.robomacro.com/v1/series/US-CA.UNEMP.M.NSA"

# Python
import requests
r = requests.get("https://makrognosis.robomacro.com/v1/series/US-CA.UNEMP.M.NSA",
                 headers={"X-API-Key": KEY})
obs = r.json()["observations"]
Get a free API key → · API docs

About this series

Latest observationSeptember 2026
First observationJanuary 1996
Observations368
FrequencyMonthly
Units%
AdjustmentNot seasonally adjusted
10-year high15.7% (Apr 2020)
10-year low3.6% (May 2019)
10-year average5.6%
Source agencyU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Makrognosis codeUS-CA.UNEMP.M.NSA

This series is a labelled reference series (an official figure republished by an aggregator) rather than a first print from the agency itself.

More United States UNEMP series

California Unemployment Rate

Other United States indicators

Real GDP — California (chained 2017 USD mn (SAAR))California Unemployment RateCalifornia Employment (household survey)California Employment (household survey)All Employees: Total Nonfarm — CA (statewide) (NSA)All Employees: Total Nonfarm — CA (statewide) (SA)California Labor ForceCalifornia Labor ForceCalifornia Unemployment LevelCalifornia Unemployment LevelHouse Price Index — California (all-transactions, NSA)Per-Capita Personal Income — CaliforniaPer-Capita Personal Income — California (quarterly, SAAR)Personal Income — CaliforniaPersonal Income — California (quarterly, SAAR)Population — California

National figure

United States Unemployment Rate (NSA)

FAQ

When is the next California Unemployment Rate california Unemployment Rate release?
The next update is expected on 23 November 2026.
Where does this data come from?
It is collected directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and is available through the Makrognosis API under the code US-CA.UNEMP.M.NSA.

Last updated 2026-10-21. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Original title: “California Unemployment Rate”.