The employment decline grew further, with a 4.9% decrease in the first week of July — 742,492 fewer workers. But from May to September, private sector employment fell by 2.9%, Flores said in his latest report. From May to July, California citizens accounted for the largest share of the decline in private sector workers, about 415,000 people. California wasn’t the only part of the U.S. to experience an employment downturn linked to immigration enforcement, Flores said. When federal control of local police in Washington ended in September, the district saw a 0.5% increase in private sector work.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 01, 2026 22:29 UTC