County of Sonoma
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Job Market Tracker

Quarter 2 Highlights

  1. Job Postings: 14,148 total unique postings in Q2 2026, up 27.5% from Q1 2026 and 4.5% year-over-year from Q2 2025. This increase is likely due to broad hiring growth across Sonoma County, including seasonal demand as employers prepared for the summer tourism season.

  2. Unemployment Rate: The quarterly average fell to 4.0%, down from 4.4% in Q1 2026. Sonoma County continues to stay below California’s quarterly rate (5%) and is now below the national quarterly rate (4.3%).

  3. Job Growth Projection: The five-year job growth forecast was revised to 4,800, a slight 0.35% decrease from Q1 2026 and a more significant 23.7% decrease from Q2 2025. This decline is primarily driven by continued job losses in the manufacturing, retail trade, and wholesale trade sectors.

  4. Experience Requirements: Job postings with 0-1 years of experience required fell to 11%, down from 14% last quarter and 16% in Q3 2025. This continued decline suggests fewer entry-level opportunities for workers entering the job market.

  5. Median Advertised Salary: Advertised salaries in Sonoma County increased by 12.7% from March to June, going from $62,000 to $69,888. Sonoma’s median salary was higher than those of both Marin and Napa counties this quarter, breaking historical trends. Median advertised salaries in Sonoma County were as follows:

    1. April: $70,400

    2. May: $68,864

    3. June: $69,888

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.

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