California has 14th-most volatile job market in US

California ranked 14th for job-market volatility in the U.S., based on an analysis of federal employment data covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia from 1976 onward. The “scorecard” looked at stability from multiple angles, concluding that the most stable markets were in Texas, Utah and New Mexico, while employment was most unpredictable in Michigan, Illinois and Washington, D.C. California’s job growth over half a century averaged 1.5% annually, ranking 13th, outpacing the typical American’s 1.1%. Volatility measured via standard deviation placed California sixth—27% more volatile than the national average.