In September 2026 the Chico metro area (all of Butte County) had a labor force of 90,577 and an unemployment rate of 5.9%, both preliminary BLS figures. The 2025 average rate was 6.2%, and the average wage across all jobs was $65,420 in the BLS 2025 wage survey.
Checked October 29, 2026
- 5.9%unemployment, Sep 2026 (prelim.)
- 6.2%2025 average
- 90,577labor force, Sep 2026
- $65,420mean annual wage, all jobs
| Period | Unemployment rate | Labor force |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 (preliminary) | 5.9% | 90,577 |
| August 2026 | 6.2% | 89,619 |
| 2025 annual average | 6.2% | 91,603 |
| 2024 annual average | 5.9% | 91,716 |
BLS notes that its 2025 annual figures are 11-month averages: October 2025 data were not collected because of the federal government shutdown.
What We Could Not Verify
- The $65,420 wage is the BLS OEWS series value for 2025; we did not confirm the survey month on the OEWS site. Not confirmed
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS, Chico MSA (series LAUMT061702000000003): https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/LAUMT061702000000003 (checked October 29, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, Chico MSA all occupations mean wage: https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/OEUM001702000000000000004 (checked October 29, 2026)
Cite this page: It's Chico, “Chico Jobs and Wages”, itschico.com/living/jobs-and-wages/ (updated ). By the It's Chico editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.