One-year employment change through the first quarter of 2026 saw Stockton as the fastest-growing market in the state and the second-fastest nationwide at 2.1 percent more jobs, Lansner reported. Stockton was pushed out only by Fayetteville, Arkansas, with 2.4 percent, among the country’s 100 metros with the biggest job markets, according to Lansner.
Other top 10 California markets for job growth were San Jose at 1.4 percent, ranked sixth nationwide; Fresno at 1.3 percent, ranked eighth; and Bakersfield at 1.3 percent, ranked ninth, Lansner reported.