California’s Labor Market Two Years Into the Pandemic - 2022 Chartbook

● Prior to the onset of COVID-19, the unemployment rate in California was slightly higher than the national rate, but this gap widened during the pandemic, reflecting the severe effect of the crisis on the state’s economy. [...] Many workers left the labor market altogether, but have largely returned two years later ● As the pandemic began, large numbers of Californians left the workforce, and the share of the population either working or looking for work in California decreased substantially compared to the US as a whole. [...] The share of women in California who were working declined more than the share of men during the first six months of the pandemic. [...] Unemployment is not the only story - CONTINUED ● Although both men and women continue to see improvements, the working share of the population remains below the pre-crisis level irrespective of gender. [...] Share of the Population Working or Looking for Work: California vs US, January 2020 to March 2022 Source: Authors’ analysis of the Current Population Survey, and the Local Area Unemployment Statistics.