As the Bay Area job market kicked off 2026 with a surge of hiring, data shows 2025 produced a far more sturdy employment picture in the region and California than state labor officials first reported, according to revisions of initial estimates. After first reporting that the region lost 20,000 jobs in 2025, the latest yearly revision from the state Employment Development Department shows the ...

An aerial view of Lake Merritt, the Alameda County Superior Courthouse, left, and downtown Oakland, California, on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026.

Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group/TNS

As the Bay Area job market kicked off 2026 with a surge of hiring, data shows 2025 produced a far more sturdy employment picture in the region and California than state labor officials first reported, according to revisions of initial estimates.

After first reporting that the region lost 20,000 jobs in 2025, the latest yearly revision from the state Employment Development Department shows the Bay Area gained 27,900 jobs – 47,900 more than previously thought.

Similarly, California added 56,600 jobs during 2025, according to the revised EDD estimate. The state labor agency first reported the state lost 11,200 jobs last year. In total, California gained 67,800 more jobs in 2025 than initially estimated.

The revisions arrive on the heels of an EDD report on April 3 that showed the Bay Area and California both experienced strong job gains in January.

The region added 15,000 jobs in January, with 4,500 jobs added in the South Bay, 2,800 in the East Bay and 5,700 in the San Francisco-San Mateo region.

California gained 93,500 jobs in January. The statewide unemployment rate improved to 5.4% compared with 5.5% in December.