Which California metro had the 4th-fastest job growth in US?

Jobs in Napa grew 6.9% in the year ending in January, the nation’s fourth-fastest hiring pace.

We looked at employment data on 389 metropolitan areas nationwide for the start of 2023, released March 17 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on at the start of 2023 for 389 metropolitan areas.

Napa bosses added 4,700 workers in the year, rising to 72,900, according to the figures released March 17 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Napa’s unemployment rate was 3.9%, down 0.9 points in the year.

Only two Texas metros — Midland (11.4% job growth) and Odessa (7.8%) — and Manhattan, Kansas (7.3%), had faster hiring paces in January.

Metros adding the most jobs over 12 months included New York (375,200), Dallas (234,100), Los Angeles-Orange County (218,400), Houston (152,900) and Chicago (122,400).

California bosses added 594,500 workers statewide in the 12 months ending in January, up 3.5% to a near-record 17.77 million. Only Texas (668,000) added more workers nationwide.

The cooling economy and many employers restoring pre-pandemic staffing levels have slowed hiring. California job growth was 8.5% in January 2022.

California bosses also are challenged to find talent. Statewide unemployment was 4.6%, down 1 percentage point in the year.

Napa’s success is part of a somewhat odd California trend: Despite layoff news swirling around Silicon Valley and the technology industry, these stats show bosses in Northern California are boosting payrolls at the fastest pace in the state.

Here’s how the state’s 26 metros fared, ranked by one-year job growth:

1. Napa: 6.9% — up 4,700 jobs in the year, rising to 72,900. The unemployment rate was 3.9% in January, down 0.9 percentage points over 12 months.
2. Madera: 4.9% — up 2,000 jobs to 42,900, unemployment 7.5% — down 0.2 points.
3. Yuba City: 4.8% — up 2,300 to 50,400, unemployment 8.1% — down 0.1 points.
4. Fresno: 4.3% — up 15,900 to 382,500, unemployment 7.5% — down 0.5 points.
5. San Diego: 4.2% — up 62,700 to 1.55 million, unemployment 3.7% — down 0.9 points.
6. San Jose: 4.2% — up 46,700 to 1.17 million, unemployment 3.1% — down 0.5 points.
7. Santa Rosa: 4.2% — up 8,200 to 204,900, unemployment 3.6% — down 0.7 points.
8. Salinas: 4.1% — up 5,700 to 144,100, unemployment 8.8% — down 0.9 points.
9. Hanford: 4% — up 1,600 to 41,500, unemployment 8.7% — down 0.4 points.
10. San Luis Obispo: 4% — up 4,600 to 118,900, unemployment 3.5% — down 0.6 points.
11. El Centro: 3.8% — up 2,100 to 57,000, unemployment 16.2% — up 1.3 points.
12. Santa Cruz: 3.8% — up 3,700 to 99,900, unemployment 6.2% — down 0.4 points.
13. Los Angeles–Orange County: 3.6% — up 218,400 to 6.25 million, unemployment 4.6% — down 1.4 points.
14. Stockton: 3.4% — up 9,100 to 273,200, unemployment 6.3% — down 0.7 points.
15. San Francisco: 3.3% — up 79,300 to 2.48 million, unemployment 3.3% — down 0.7 points.
16. Visalia: 3.3% — up 4,400 to 138,300, unemployment 9.9% — up 0.4 points.
17. Sacramento: 3.2% — up 32,900 to 1.06 million, unemployment 4.3% — down 0.7 points.
18. Merced: 3.1% — up 2,100 to 70,800, unemployment 9.7% — down 0.3 points.
19. Santa Barbara: 2.8% — up 5,300 to 195,300, unemployment 4.5% — down 0.7 points.
20. Vallejo–Fairfield: 2.8% — up 3,800 to 139,100, unemployment 4.8% — down 1 point.
21. Modesto: 2.7% — up 4,800 to 185,500, unemployment 6.5% — down 0.5 points.
22. Bakersfield: 2.4% — up 6,700 to 287,400, unemployment 8.1% — down 0.3 points.
23. Chico: 2.4% — up 1,800 to 77,200, unemployment 5.6% — down 0.2 points.
24. Ventura County: 2.1% — up 6,300 to 311,400, unemployment 4.2% — down 0.7 points.
25. Inland Empire: 2.1% — up 33,900 to 1.66 million, unemployment 4.4% — down 1 point.
26. Redding: 1.8% — up 1,200 to 68,800, unemployment 5.7% — down 0.4 points.