California’s unemployment rate remains steady at 5.3%

(The Center Square) – The latest numbers from the California Employment Development Department show 30,286 residents filed new unemployment claims totaling $115 million during the week ending July 4.

That’s almost double the number of people who filed renewed unemployment claims during the same week: 15,819 people.

That means a total of 46,105 people filed for unemployment benefits during the week leading up to America’s 250th birthday.

Numbers from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis show that as of May 2026, California’s unemployment rate amounts to roughly 5.3%.

“California’s market is weaker than nationally,” Wayne Winegarden, a senior fellow in business and economics for the Pacific Research Institute, told The Center Square on Friday. “The unemployment rate is higher outside of healthcare, so I think that’s kind of the more important i...