Despite a loss of thousands of jobs throughout California during February, the Bay Area saw a hiring upswing fueled by gains in the South Bay and Peninsula, according to the latest employment figures released by the state.
Adjusted for seasonal volatility, employers added 3,000 positions in the Bay Area in February, while California overall lost 19,900, the state Employment Development Department reported.
The Port of Oakland, the Bay Bridge and San Francisco are visible in a drone view, March 11, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
The region has experienced job gains for eight straight months, as shown by the EDD’s annual revisions of statewide job totals.
In February, the South Bay added 2,000 jobs, the San Francisco-San Mateo region gained 1,100, and the East Bay added 600, according to the EDD. In the North Bay, Marin County and Napa County each added 300 jobs, while Solano County lost 500 and Sonoma County shed 800.
The statewide unemployment rate in February was 5.4%, unchanged from January and below previous highs of 5.5% from June 2025 through December 2025.
Over the one-year period that ended in February, gains in the South Bay greatly outpaced the rest of the region and state.
During that time period, the South Bay added 18,200 jobs, a 1.6% increase; the San Francisco-San Mateo area added 8,000, a 0.7% increase; and the East Bay gained 4,200, a 0.4% rise. The Bay Area added 33,900 jobs, an increase of 0.8%.
California over the same 12 months ending in February gained 120,500 jobs, a 0.7% gain.
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