California created nearly 19 percent of new US jobs in January

California was responsible for 18.7 percent of the nation’s job growth in January 2023 — adding 96,700 non-farm roles out of 517,000 nationwide, a report revealed on Friday.

In comparison to the previous January, the Golden State’s total non-farm jobs increased by 599,500 — or by 3.5 percent — slightly surpassing the U.S. annual gain of 3.3 percent, according to the report, released by the state’s Employment Development Department (EDD).

“California has added more than 3 million jobs since April 2020 — the biggest hiring spree in the nation,” Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) office said in a statement.

Although California created nearly 19 percent of the country’s new jobs in January, the state’s more than 39 million residents represent just about 11.7 percent of the total U.S. population, according to the Census Bureau.

Eight of California’s 11 industrial sectors showed employment gains in January, with the government leading the way by adding 46,000 new roles, the data showed.

The EDD attributed this surge in government jobs to positive developments in State Government Educational Services — boosted by the end of a University of California workers strike in December.

More than 20,800 new jobs were created in the leisure and hospitality industries, where gains were particularly strong not only in gambling, but also in performing arts, spectator sports and talent and sports agencies.

While emphasizing these gains, the EDD also reported job losses in the financial activities, information and construction sectors in January.

The agency also noted that California’s unemployment rate “crept up slightly for the month of January 2023 to 4.2 percent” — or 0.1 percentage points greater than that of Dec. 2022.

Nonetheless, the unemployment rate was still a full percentage point below that of Jan. 2022, according to the report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.