California has the highest unemployment rate of any state in the United States.
Said by Rep. Ken Calvert, Checked Updated
- Sources
- 1 contradict1 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 50%
On with Kara SwisherAug 10, 2026
As of the most recent state rankings in the sources (September 2026), California was tied with Connecticut at 5.1% for the highest state unemployment rate, so it was joint-highest rather than uniquely highest. The 2025 Center Square figures, which put California alone at the top, predate the claim, and the sources do not give the exact August 2026 state ranking.
A detail. The sources confirm the gist; the verdict faults a detail such as a date, number or wording.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… Later that year, Anthropic, big investment, that was all going to, I think, New York and Texas, and that's where all the so, but criteria, though, they they still we get our fair share, I would say. Yeah, but this is the point, right? So you've got this contrast: you've got fourth biggest economy in the world, a lot of that is driven by these big tech companies and huge revenue that they bring in, and the highest unemployment rate in the country, and also, to use a really nerdy term, uhm, the labor force participation rate is pretty historically low in California. It's about 62 point something percent. At its peak in California, it's been nearly 70%. …
On with Kara Swisher · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. USAFacts's September 2026 state ranking lists California and Connecticut tied for highest among states at 5.1%, so California was not the sole highest state rate.[2]
Supports. The EDD reports California's July 2026 unemployment rate at 5.1%, its lowest since February 2024, and USAFacts ranks California among the highest state rates in September 2026.[1][2]
Context. The 2025 Center Square report had California alone at the top with 5.5%, but that is older data and does not reflect the 2026 state ranking.[3]
Context. The claim's extraction matches the passage's 'highest unemployment rate in the country' wording; the post does not name a specific figure, so the comparison rests on the state ranking.
Sources
3 sources: 1 primary, 2 not rated
- 1California's Unemployment Rate Improves to 5.1 Percent - EDDedd.ca.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 2What is the unemployment rate in the US right now? | USAFactsusafacts.org · not rated · cited for: contradicts, supports
- 3Figures Show California Is State With Highest Unemploymentgvwire.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Checked 3 times
Each check reads the sources again. The newest verdict is the one this page states.
- · latestMixed
- Can’t tell
- False
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