Bay Area and California add jobs in April — but the gains are puny

Drone view of the Cathedral Building in downtown Oakland, May 2024,

The Bay Area and California both added jobs in April, but the gains were puny and sketch a picture of an ominously feeble employment market statewide and in this region, a new report shows.

The April employment upswing in the Bay Area was led almost single-handedly by the East Bay, which powered to healthy gains. The South Bay was flat while the San Francisco-San Mateo area lost jobs.

The Bay Area added 300 jobs in April, according to figures posted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Here’s how the Bay Area’s seven metro regions fared during April. All of the numbers were adjusted for seasonal volatility:

— The East Bay gained 2,600 jobs.

— The South Bay’s employment totals were unchanged.

— The San Francisco-San Mateo region lost 1,700 jobs.

— In the North Bay, Marin County gained 200 jobs, Napa County added 100 positions, Sonoma County lost 600 jobs, while Solano County shed 300 jobs.