The U.S. workforce currently stands at 165.5 million, with 19.5 million in California alone. Last year saw California’s unemployment rate rising from 5.1% to 5.4%, landing as the second highest, just behind Nevada, and significantly higher than the national rate of 4.2%. Michael Bernick, an employment lawyer and former EDD Director, pointed out that California’s job growth has slowed. If not for significant gains in the healthcare industry, the Golden State might not have shown any job gains at all, he added.

Since the presidency of Obama, unemployment rates have fluctuated, with Biden inheriting a rate of 6.4%. The future rate for 2025, nationally and specifically for California, according to Bernick, will be decided by tariffs, immigration, and government spending. All three could impact job growth or otherwise for businesses, industries, and markets reliant on imports, exports, migrant labor and government contracts. Artificial intelligence, although an expanding force, is not expected to significantly increase job generation by 2025. Despite a reported drop by 100,000 in job openings in California, 620,000 positions remain available, mirroring the situation pre-pandemic when the economy was flourishing.

For those looking to navigate unemployment in California and require assistance, the state’s Employment Development Department (EDD) can provide support. Contacting EDD might seem daunting, but resources such as eddcaller.com can provide guidance and information on how to get a hold of EDD customer service for guidance on unemployment claims, benefit queries, or related services.