Inland Empire/Desert

The Inland Empire’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August 2025 was 5.6%, reflecting a 0.1% decrease from the previous month’s revised 5.7%. The California unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.5% in August. Nationally, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1% over the month to 4.3%, which is considerably lower than that of the Inland Empire and California overall.

According to the latest employment data from the Employment Development Department’s Labor Market Information Division (EDD/LMID), the construction sector lost 1,200 jobs between July and August 2025 in the Inland Empire/Desert region. This decline exceeds the sector’s typical monthly reduction of about 400 jobs.

The Inland Empire/Desert COE has released its latest research report, 2025 Equity Across Education & Employment Pipelines. This study is particularly exciting because it incorporates K–12 student data, which had not been included in earlier work.

The latest employment data from the California Labor Market Information Division (LMID) shows that the region added 6,400 nonfarm jobs between July and August 2025—a 0.4% increase in employment. This growth is slightly lower than the average August gain of 0.5% seen over the past four years. Over the month, nine sectors added jobs, five sectors lost jobs, and five sectors saw no change in job counts.

The Employment Development Department’s Labor Market Information Division (EDD/LMID) reports that government employment in the Inland Empire/Desert region grew by 4,200 jobs (1.6%) from July to August 2025. The monthly job gains are consistent with historical averages and were driven by increases in local government educational services (+5,500 jobs), which includes K–12 public schools

The Inland Empire/Desert COE recently released its 2025 2025 Equity Across Education & Employment Pipelines Analysis report. The COE will also be offering a workshop covering the report, providing a summary of the findings and recommendations, with a chance for participants to ask questions.

The 2025 Subregional reports divide the region into four part: Riverside Metro, San Bernardino Metro, High Desert, and Low Desert. Each report provides a detailed workforce analysis of one of the four subregions in the Inland Empire/Desert region, offering insights into regional demographics, employment trends, industry and occupational outlooks, and career education (CTE) program alignment.

The latest employment data from the California Labor Market Information Division (LMID) shows that the region lost 46,800 non-farm jobs between December 2024 and March 2025—a 2.7% decline in industry employment.

The Inland Empire’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.3% in March 2025, reflecting a slight 0.1% decrease from the 5.4% unemployment rates seen in the first two months of the year.