SLO County unemployment rate continues steady decline
January 23, 2026
By KAREN VELIE
San Luis Obispo County’s unemployment rate fell in December to 4.3%, the state Employment Development Department reported Friday. During the same time, unemployment rates fell in California and in the United States.
The county unemployment rate fell from 4.6% in November to 4.3% in December.
During December, while few job gains were noted, the civilian labor force dropped from 133,100 to 131,700, a loss of 1,400 workers.
San Luis Obispo County is ranked eighth out of 58 California counties for lower numbers of unemployed workers. SLO County’s unemployment rate is higher than the national average of 4.1% and lower than the state’s 5.1% rate.
In California, San Mateo County at 3.8% has the lowest unemployment rate and Imperial County comes in on the bottom with an unemployment rate of 18.6%.
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