"During the 12 months ended in February, they ran 1% below the previous 12-month period. That's the 22nd-best performance among the states and tops the nation's 0.3% dip. Claims fell in 24 states, topped by Wisconsin's 16% dip, Indiana's 14%, and Massachusetts and Arizona, off 13%."
"California's involuntary separations for all of 2025 were up 18% vs. 2024. Sadly, this was the seventh-best performance among the states. U.S. layoffs grew 21% and increased in every state. Layoffs grew fastest in Rhode Island (33%), Kentucky (29%), and New Jersey and Tennessee (27%)."
"Note that the tracking of 'involuntary separations' includes employees who are ineligible for unemployment insurance or who delay filing for various reasons, including severance pay. Don't forget, some workers find new jobs before requesting jobless aid. Also, consider that unemployment claims are actual counts of benefit requests by state employment bureaus. The layoff counts are estimates taken from employer surveys."
California's labor market presents contradictory signals when comparing two key employment metrics. Unemployment insurance claims fell 1% over 12 months ending February, ranking 22nd nationally and outperforming the national 0.3% decline. However, involuntary separations data reveals a concerning trend: California's layoffs increased 18% in 2025 versus 2024, representing only the seventh-best state performance. Nationally, layoffs grew 21% across all states. These divergent metrics stem from methodological differences—claims are actual benefit requests while layoff counts derive from employer surveys—and timing delays. The conflicting data creates economic uncertainty and dampens consumer confidence.
Read at The Mercury News
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