The Bay Area job market experienced mixed results in June, with the East Bay adding 1,800 jobs while the South Bay and San Francisco-San Mateo regions lost 1,200 and 200 positions, respectively. Despite these losses, the Bay Area saw a net increase of 2,200 jobs overall. California added 22,500 jobs in June, with the unemployment rate remaining at 5.2%.
In the first half of 2024, the Bay Area gained 7,400 jobs, with the South Bay and East Bay contributing 5,300 and 6,300 positions, respectively. However, the San Francisco-San Mateo region lost 3,500 jobs during this period. The departure of tech companies from San Francisco, such as X (Twitter), Uber, Block, and Reddit, has impacted the city’s job market.
East Bay job growth
Michael Bernick, an employment attorney, noted, “This past week’s announcement by Elon Musk that he is moving X (Twitter) out of San Francisco completes the hollowing out of the once-vibrant tech hub in the mid-market area of San Francisco.”
Despite the challenges in the tech sector, the broader Bay Area job market is showing signs of recovery. Scott Anderson, chief U.S. economist with BMO Capital Markets, said, “Bay Area job growth kicked into a higher gear in the second quarter after an uneven performance in the first quarter.
It appears the economic gloom across the state and even the Bay Area is beginning to lift.”
California added 37,200 jobs in the first quarter and 69,900 in the second quarter, totaling 107,100 job gains for the first six months of 2024. However, the state’s unemployment rate has been rising since reaching a record low of 3.8% in August 2022. Economist Steve Levy remains optimistic about the region’s future, stating, “The Bay Area has the potential for continuing job growth as we have a strong set of industries.
But success will depend on an increase in new housing, continued immigration growth, and the start of lower interest rates.”
Experts caution that the job market may face challenges for the rest of 2024, but if inflation cools enough to prompt lower interest rates from the Federal Reserve, it could improve the employment outlook for next year. Anderson added, “The June employment data suggest a soft landing for the Bay Area economy with inflation pressures continuing to cool, the perfect environment for Fed rate cuts and a job growth revival next year.”
