County of Sonoma
Economic Development Collaborative › Data Center › Workforce › Job Market Tracker

Job Market Tracker

Quarter 4 Highlights

  1. Job Postings: 10,405 unique postings in Q4 2025—down 11% from Q3 but up 7.7% year-over-year from Q4 2024.
  2. Unemployment Rate: Quarterly average fell to 4.4% from 4.7% in Q3 (October data unavailable due to federal government shutdown). The rate peaked at 4.9% in July and has declined steadily since. Sonoma County's 4.4% compares favorably to California's 5.6% and the national rate of 4.6%.
  3. Job Growth Projection: Five-year job growth forecast revised down 31% to 4,611 jobs from Q3's projection of 6,650. The downward revision likely reflects anticipated stagnation in healthcare due to federal funding cuts and California budget constraints.
  4. Education Requirements: Bachelor's degree requirements held steady at 13% of postings, unchanged from Q3 and down from 20% in Q2. The lower share reflects strong demand for skilled positions in Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services and related sectors.
  5. Median Advertised Salary: After stagnation through most of 2025, median advertised salary showed modest Q4 growth, reaching $67,840 in December—now roughly equal to California's historically higher median.

Methodology & Sources

Data from unique job postings is collected by Lightcast Analytics, including top employers, occupational groups, job postings, median annual salaries, largest employers, top skills and certifications. Lightcast is unable to access any non-publicly posted jobs, so data may not reflect the hiring demands of all Sonoma County employers. Labor market information was compiled from the California EDD and the BLS. Historical unemployment rates represent the average unemployment rate of the 3 months making up the quarter. Interested readers are encouraged to contact data resource agencies for further research or to visit www.sonomaedc.org for more information. Please direct all inquiries or suggestions for future reports to the EDC by calling (707) 565-7170 or emailing edc@sonomacounty.gov.

Foundation Sponsors

Thank you to our Economic Development Board Foundation Sponsors for their support of the Economic Development Collaborative's economic research and many other vital services.