Is California's job growth 80% less than we think?

"California bosses added only 18,000 workers in the year ending in March, according to new job counts instead of the 88,000 previously reported. That's a 70,000 gap, or 80% fewer jobs. California's slim growth helps explain 2025's sluggish economic activity from weak consumer confidence to tepid home and auto sales to fast-food discounting and growing government deficits. The new administration's unorthodox business policies may also be part of the economic malaise."

"Government job counters refine their monthly employment counts, derived from surveys of bosses, through a two-step process. There are monthly revisions tied to additional survey results. Annually, two revisions are largely based on quarterly job stats taken from detailed reviews of employers' unemployment insurance filings. Those record-based counts are seen as more accurate but they take five months to tally. Closer to home State and local jobs data won't officially be updated until early 2026 after more data comes in."

California's revised employment counts show only 18,000 jobs added in the year ending March, versus 88,000 previously reported, a 70,000 shortfall. That sharply reduced job growth correlates with sluggish 2025 economic indicators such as weak consumer confidence, tepid home and auto sales, fast-food discounting and rising government deficits. The Bureau of Labor Statistics made major national downward revisions, finding U.S. job counts 911,000 too high compared with earlier tallies. Monthly survey-based employment estimates are later revised using quarterly unemployment insurance records, which are more accurate but require several months to produce. State and local updates await early 2026.

Read at www.ocregister.com