High Unemployment Areas

Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, the Employment Development Department (EDD) has delayed the release of its September 2025 employment data. This data is used by the Employment Training Panel (ETP) to determine High Unemployment Area designations. As a result, ETP’s reporting schedule for the High Unemployment designations will be delayed as well. We are monitoring the situation and evaluating how to address the status of applicable applications once the data is received from EDD.

For EDD’s statement on the delay, please visit: EDD Statement on September Labor Data Release Delay

The Panel funds training in high unemployment areas (HUA), the training focuses on workers who have full-time jobs and fairly stable employment but earn low wages and lack the essential job skills necessary to improve their employment opportunities.

Review list of current ETP HUA Eligibility for county and city rates

Review ETP’s Regulation Section 4429 (High Unemployment Areas)

The Panel utilizes the Employment Development Department’s (EDD) Labor Market Information data to define HUAs as follows:

If State Average Unemployment Rate Is:	High Unemployment Areas Are Defined As:
Less than 10% >>	Counties with an unemployment rate 25 percent higher than the State average. OR Sub-county areas containing large numbers of unemployed workers and having an unemployment rate 25 percent higher than the State average.
10% or Higher >>	Counties with an unemployment rate 15 percent higher than the State average. OR Sub-county areas containing large numbers of unemployed workers and having an unemployment rate 15 percent higher than the State average.