October 2024 Employment Trends in California

Updated:
August 4, 2026

      Good rating  
 Based on 397 reviews 
    
  
 
 
      ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I had a great experience with Rastegar Law Group. The team was professional, knowledgeable, and attentive throughout the process. They communicated clearly, answered questions, and made sure I felt informed every step of the way. Their dedication, responsiveness, and commitment to providing quality service really stood out. I would highly recommend Rastegar Law Group to anyone looking for a professional and reliable legal team!
     
   Mathew Park 
 1 days ago
 
 
 
 
    I was very happy with my experience with Pershing Square Law Center and I  highly recommend them!  From start to finish, the experience has been excellent. I’m writing this review before receiving the judgment for my EDD appeal case, but I already feel incredibly grateful for my lawyer Charlie’s representation. I know without a doubt that I would have had no chance without him.
I was able to speak with Charlie three times before the hearing, and he called me immediately afterward to go over everything. You can tell he is passionate about his work, genuinely a good human being with a good heart and a deep aptitude for what he does.
When I first called Pershing Square Law Center, I was assisted right away, and they made it clear that I would be represented on contingency and that I would be not charged a fee directly.  The intake process was friendly, concise, and included a brief conversation with the attorney. The intake staff member who handled my call was cordial, clear, and very helpful in completing intake documents.
After the intake, I was pleasantly surprised and truly impressed by the responsiveness of the entire team, especially from Alison and Genecis.  Every email and voicemail I sent  with questions before my EDD hearing was answered clearly and professionally, usually within 24 hours and never later than 48.
A unique aspect of my case is that it involved an overpayment appeal rather than a denial of benefits. This meant the potential contingency payout for Pershing Square Law Center was very small. Despite that, the team remained consistently responsive, and at no point did I feel that Charlie and the staff at Pershing Square Law Center treated my case as less important than a case with a larger potential for a payout.
While writing this, I noticed some negative reviews. I can only speculate that those may come from people with highly emotional expectations of being guaranteed a big payday. My experience has been nothing but excellent, ethical, and professional from beginning to end. I
Thank you, Pershing Square Law Center!
     
   Michael Turner 
 24 days ago
 
 
 
 
    Amazing law firm they helped me win my appeal they even called a week later to ask if I needed help with anything else. The follow showed me what an amazing law firm they are and that they actually care about the clients. I would give 10 stars if I could thanks again
     
   Vahan 
 49 days ago
 
 
 
 
    I was originally denied my EDD disability benefits in California, but Pershing Square Law Firm, PC stepped in and filed an appeal. They got my temporary disability benefits approved within 30 days. Every member of the firm I spoke to was very professional, and the team was responsive, kind and really knew the process. I highly recommend them if you’re facing a denial.
     
   Omar H 
 55 days ago
 
 
 
 
    Well, I have to say that if I could give a 100 million stars, I would Assaf really did create a miracle? I appreciate all the work. Thank you to the whole law firm. And most of all, thank you
     
   Tamara Utterback 
 55 days ago
 
 
 
 
    They are the best always fighting for you they’re never stop doing it I am very proud and satisfied with my lawyer they won my case thanks for eveer guys good team
     
   Dio 
 60 days ago
 
 
 
 
    I highly recommend and appreciate this firm.  I had an EDD conundrum very very time consuming  and had alot of moving parts. I had no idea what to do when it all started.  Everyone's case is different but trust the process. Charlie will fight for you. Charlie and Alison were communicating with me throughout this journey.  Thank you Charlie 😊
     
   LaTonya Stewart 
 79 days ago
 
 
 
 
    I wanna start by saying how satisfied and happy I am to have found Pershing law firm They were able to help me get my EDD case resolved results were amazing. Their staff was super friendly, helpful and diligent in their work 10 out of 10 would recommend if you are in need of help with the Edd this firm is who you need
     
   wilburg cornejo 
 105 days ago
 
 
 
 
    Absolutely will recommend Charlie Minchenberg. Won my case even though I was incarcerated. 100 percent reccomend this law firm as well Charlie.
     
   Christian Rubalcava 
 121 days ago
 
 
 
 
    I like to thank the Team at Pershing square, Dafne, Assaf, and Daniel for helping me through 2 cases.
I owe Assaf a big thanks for winning the PUA case for me years ago and this time Daniel for his excellent guidance with my EDD case. Especially a case that’s classified as voluntary quit ( one of the harder cases to fight).

To all the people complaining about how little the attorney does during the hearing you shouldn’t,  because in these cases, all the judge really cares about is your testimony and your opponents testimony if there are any, it is not criminal defense stuff. Daniel did a tremendous job helping me prepare and I was nailing the judges questions.

At last, thank you guys so much again. This is the end of my dealings with EDD for my lifetime and to all of you reading this, they are absolutely the best reliable attorneys to hire if it is a tough case.
     
   The New Right 
 168 days ago

In October 2024, California’s employment landscape exhibited both resilience and challenges, reflecting broader economic trends and sector-specific dynamics. California Employment Trends comprehensive analysis delves into employment data, industry-specific job fluctuations, unemployment trends, nonfarm payroll comparisons, unemployment insurance claims, county-level labor force details, and notable shifts in the labor market, including challenges in accessing unemployment benefits.

Overview of Employment Data for October 2024

There is a complete overview of Employment Data for October 2024

Nonfarm Jobs

The October numbers continued to show relative weakness in the state economy. Nonfarm jobs (seasonally adjusted) dropped by 5,500 in the preliminary results. The results for September were revised down by 2,200 to a gain of 12,700. Over the past three months, nonfarm jobs have grown by only 6,000, compared to 74,200 in the same period in 2023.

5.5k

Nonfarm Jobs

Change

California Labor Force

The unemployment rate rose by 0.1 point to 5.4%. Total number of unemployed continued increasing by 13,100 over the month, bringing the total rise in unemployed to 322,400 since the near-term low seen in August 2022. The number of unemployed has now remained above 1 million every month so far this year.

5.4%

CA Unemployment

Rate

Total employment (seasonally adjusted) dropped by 5,800 over the month, while posting an 82,700 loss from the near-term peak experienced in May 2023.

5.8k

CA Employment

Total nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in October (+12,000), and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment continued to trend up in health care and government. Temporary help services lost jobs. Employment declined in manufacturing due to strike activity.

Key Job Growth and Losses by Industry

A closer look at the industry sectors reveals a mixed landscape. Five of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs in October with Private Education & Health Services (+9,400) experiencing month-over gains in 32 of the last 33 months. Trade, Transportation, & Utilities (+2,600) showed an increase for the eighth consecutive month with majority gains occurring in Retail Trade and Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities as companies prepare for the holiday season.

However, these gains were overshadowed by substantial losses in key sectors. Losses in Government (-7,500) are largely due to job losses in its State Government subsector (-10,900). Professional and Business Services (-8,300) experienced the largest month-over decline, partly due to Employment Services as well as Waste Management and Remediation Services moving against their recent trends of gains, along with a potential hiring slowdown across the industry.

Comparison with National Trends

Nationally, the employment situation remained relatively stable, with an addition of 12,000 jobs in October. However, California’s job losses contributed to an increase in the state’s unemployment rate, now the second highest in the nation.

Employment and Unemployment California Employment Trends

The slight uptick in the unemployment rate to 5.4% reflects both job losses in certain sectors and an expanding labor force. Despite these challenges, California’s private sector added 155,080 jobs over the past year, marking a 1.0% increase.

Factors Influencing California Employment Trends

Several factors have influenced California’s employment trends:

Business Relocations: Since 2019, over 200 companies, including Chevron and Hewlett-Packard, have relocated from California, citing high taxes and stringent regulations.
Cost of Living: The state’s high cost of living has prompted professionals to move to states like Texas and Arizona, leading to a net loss of nearly 87,000 professionals last year.
Sector-Specific Strikes: Strikes in the aerospace manufacturing industry and at various hotel chains have impacted job numbers, with significant work stoppages affecting employment figures.

Comparison of Nonfarm Payroll Jobs: Month-over and Year-over Analysis

In California there were 18,090,200 jobs in total nonfarm industries in October, a loss of 5,500 jobs from last month. This follows a revised 12,700-job gain in September and a 1,200-job loss in August.

Source: (California Employment Development Department (EDD)).

Nationwide, nonfarm payrolls were up 12,000 jobs (0.0 percent) over the month and up 2,173,000 (1.4 percent) over the year. In comparison, California nonfarm jobs were down 5,500 (0.0 percent) over the month and up 212,100 jobs (1.2 percent) since October 2023.

Nonfarm jobs in California have increased over the past year in seven industry sectors: private education and health services (4.5 percent); government (2.1 percent); other services (1.4 percent); leisure and hospitality (0.8 percent); professional and business services (0.7 percent); trade, transportation and utilities (0.6 percent); and financial activities (0.3 percent).

The sectors that lost jobs were information (-2.8 percent); manufacturing (-2.8 percent) and construction (-0.2 percent). • Private sector employment in California which excludes government, gained 2,000 jobs (0.0 percent) in October following an increase of 10,000 jobs (0.1 percent) in September. Over the last year, employment in California’s private sector has increased by 155,080 jobs (1.0 percent).

Unemployment Insurance Claims Overview

In October 2024, there were 185,930 initial unemployment insurance claims filed in California, a decrease of 8.4% from September. Total weeks paid amounted to 1,304,295, down 17.3% from the previous month. To take complete information about insurance claims visit Employment Development Department.

Detailed Labor Force Data for California Counties

County-level unemployment rates varied, with some areas experiencing higher rates due to industry-specific challenges. Detailed statistics for each county are available through the Employment Development Department’s resources.

Notable Shifts in California’s Labor Market

California lost nearly 87,000 professionals last year while just 69,000 relocated to the state, according to a report published by the National Association of Realtors. This outflow is attributed to high living costs and taxes, prompting professionals to move to states like Texas and Arizona. The data comes on the heels of a fresh Bureau of Labor Statistics report, which found that California’s unemployment rate ticked up to 5.4% last month, the second highest in the nation.

Challenges in Receiving Unemployment Benefits

Amid these labor market shifts, individuals face challenges in accessing unemployment benefits, including processing delays and eligibility disputes. Navigating the appeals process can be complex, making California Employment Trends essential for affected individuals to seek assistance through an unemployment benefits appeal.

Reading the October Figures

California’s employment trends in October 2024 reflect a complex interplay of sector-specific dynamics, labor force changes, and economic factors. While certain industries show resilience, others face challenges that impact overall employment figures. Addressing the hurdles in accessing unemployment benefits remains central to supporting the state’s workforce through these transitions.

Our Services

Focused guidance for the California EDD issue you are facing.

14+ Years of Experience in Complex EDD Matters

We chose to focus exclusively on California EDD appeals, so our attorneys, case managers, and client relations team work within one system, one state, and one area of law.

October 2024 Employment Trends in California