Bay Area starts 2024 with robust job gains led by South Bay upswing

The Bay Area and California muscled up for sturdy job gains in January to kick off 2024 — but the employment markets in the nine-county region and statewide were far weaker in 2023 than first thought.

Employers in the Bay Area added 13,600 jobs in January, marking five straight months of job gains for the region, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released Friday by the state’s labor agency.

Here is how the Bay Area’s three largest urban centers fared to start 2024, as reported by the state Employment Development Department:

— The South Bay provided the most propulsion for the surge in hiring to launch the year, adding 5,000 jobs in January.

— The San Francisco-San Mateo region added 3,400 jobs in January.

— The East Bay gained 2,200 jobs in January. All of the regional metro numbers were also adjusted for seasonal variations.

California added 58,100 jobs in January, the EDD reported. The statewide unemployment rate worsened to 5.2%, up from 5.1% in December.