The unemployment rates in Southern California spiked to an 11-month high in July amid a slowdown in the local job market. Unadjusted data reveals that the employment rate across the four counties rose to 6.1% in July, marking the highest since August 2024. This figure reflects an increase from the previous month’s 5.7% but is equivalent to the rate of July 2024.

Notably, July traditionally records a median unemployment rate of 6.7% since 2010. Consequently, 545,300 individuals were categorized as officially unemployed in July — 40,200 more than the previous month but 900 less compared to the previous year. In terms of employment, a slight drop is observed with 7.95 million in employment across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, down 48,900 from the previous month.

The economic uncertainty and the new administration’s controversial business policies have deterred many businesses from hiring. The employment growth rate dwindled to 0.7% compared to previous 12 months’ 0.9% increase. This slowing trend is further evidenced in the last 16 years’ annual pace of 1.5%.

Considering local job markets, Los Angeles County reported a July unemployment rate of 6.4%, Orange County had a rate of 4.8%, and the Inland Empire registered the same rate as Los Angeles County.

Reconnecting with this issue, if you’re in California and are struggling with your Employment Development Department (EDD) claims, one resource that may be helpful is www.eddcaller.com. This site gives valuable information regarding how to get through to the EDD to speak with a live person, which can be a significant challenge given the increased volume of calls during this period of high unemployment.