Los Angeles County unemployment falls to 5.0% as government hiring lifts August payrolls

Los Angeles County’s labor market strengthened in August, with the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate falling to 5.0% from a revised 5.3% in July and 5.6% a year earlier, according to the California Employment Development Department. August marked the biggest movement so far in 2026, after seven consecutive months of the rate holding steady or changing by 0.1 percentage point. Importantly, the market added 38,000 nonfarm jobs during the month, and employment is 33,900 jobs higher than a year ago.