San Mateo County, CA jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meSan Mateo County economy
3.9%
unemployment, Sep 2026
4.1% the month before
410,701
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
745,100
people in San Mateo County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$156,000
median household income
Source: Census ACS
55%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where San Mateo County ranks
Where San Mateo County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #2Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors in the West Coast39% · of 68
- #3Counties with the most job openings per unemployed person in the West Coast18 per 100 · of 35
- #5Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the West Coast55% · of 86
- #10Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors39% · of 100
- #13Best county job markets for job seekers in the West Coast55 / 100 · of 34
- #16Counties with the lowest unemployment in the West Coast3.9% · of 86
San Mateo County outlook: Cooling
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs down 3.0% from 2022 to 2025
- Population down 2.5% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 3.9%, down 0.2 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+6,866 jobs), hotels & food (+3,546 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: information (−18,948 jobs), manufacturing (−4,940 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in San Mateo County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- Aria Networks plans to triple workforce with Sunnyvale moveThe Business Journals · Oct 16, 2026
Learn and get funded in San Mateo County
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
San Mateo County layoffs
10
Layoff notices, last 12 months
1,412
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
8
employers
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OracleTakes effect Nov 13, 2026 | San Mateo County | 279 | Layoff Permanent | State record | |
| LeeMah ElectronicsTakes effect Dec 21, 2026 | San Mateo County | 62 | Closure Permanent | State record | |
| Arsenal Biosciences, Inc.Takes effect Oct 29, 2026 | San Mateo County | 58 | Layoff Permanent | State record | |
| Cellares CorporationTakes effect Oct 20, 2026 | San Mateo County | 100 | Layoff Permanent | State record | |
| LeeMAH ElectronicsTakes effect Oct 16, 2026 | San Mateo County | 205 | Closure Permanent | State record | |
| Flying Food Group, LLCTakes effect Oct 13, 2026 | San Mateo County | 72 | Closure Permanent | State record | |
| VisaTakes effect Oct 1, 2026 | San Mateo County | 320 | Layoff Permanent | State record | |
| Yerba Mate Co., LLC - South San FranciscoTakes effect Sep 1, 2026 | San Mateo County | 1 | Layoff Permanent | State record | |
| LeeMAH ElectronicsTakes effect Sep 8, 2026 | San Mateo County | 212 | Closure Permanent | State record | |
| Genentech, Inc.Takes effect Jul 29, 2026 | San Mateo County | 103 | Layoff Permanent | State record |
Employers hiring most in San Mateo County
Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.
- Roblox243 open roles
- Gilead Sciences200 open roles
- Zoox156 open roles
- Verkada139 open roles
- Snowflake114 open roles
- Skydio68 open roles
- 1X Technologies67 open roles
- PlayStation (Sony Interactive Entertainment)60 open roles
- Fireworks AI50 open roles
- Corcept Therapeutics39 open roles
Largest employers headquartered in San Mateo County
- Gilead Sciences, Inc.about 17,000 employees (2026)
- Electronic Artsabout 11,000 employees (2021)
- Equinix5,001–20,000 employees
- Snowflake5,001–20,000 employees
- Freshworks1,001–5,000 employees
- Guardant Health1,001–5,000 employees
- Guidewire Software1,001–5,000 employees
- Roblox1,001–5,000 employees
- Upstart1,001–5,000 employees
Employee counts with a year are published figures (Wikidata). Other sizes are estimates from our company directory, not payroll counts.
Colleges in San Mateo County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alder Graduate School of Education | Redwood City | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Menlo College | Atherton | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Notre Dame de Namur University | Belmont | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Job fairs and business events in San Mateo County
Hiring events, career workshops and business events in and around San Mateo County.
- Career workshopNov 11, 2026
LinkedIn: Developing Your Profile (Zoom)
With NOVAworks · Workforce board: NOVA Workforce Development Board
- Career workshopNov 13, 2026
Create a Resume that Gets Results (Zoom)
With NOVAworks · Workforce board: NOVA Workforce Development Board
- Career workshopNov 17, 2026
With NOVAworks · Workforce board: NOVA Workforce Development Board
- Career workshopNov 17, 2026
LinkedIn: Power Your Job Search & Network (Zoom)
With NOVAworks · Workforce board: NOVA Workforce Development Board
- Career workshopNov 23, 2026
How to Customize a Resume (Zoom)
With NOVAworks · Workforce board: NOVA Workforce Development Board
- Career workshopNov 24, 2026
LinkedIn: Developing Your Profile (Zoom)
With NOVAworks · Workforce board: NOVA Workforce Development Board
Conferences in San Mateo County
Industry conferences and trade shows held in San Mateo County. 4 with dates announced.
- Humanoids Summit Silicon Valley
Dec 1 to Dec 2, 2026 · San Mateo, CA
Paid ticket, price not listed
- Women's Venture Capital Summit
Feb 1 to Feb 3, 2027 · Half Moon Bay, CA
Paid ticket. Feb 1-3, 2027, Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay. Price shown at 'Buy your ticket' checkout; allocators welcome.
- HRWest
Mar 23 to Mar 24, 2027 · South San Francisco, CA
Ticket $399 to $999. Early-bird $399 through Jan 15 2027; $799 regular; $999 onsite.
Open call for speakers · deadline Oct 30, 2026
- SaaStr Annual
May 11 to May 12, 2027 · San Mateo, CA
Paid ticket. May 11-12, 2027, San Mateo County Event Center. Ticket prices on the buy-tickets page (not shown on home page).
Open call for speakers
- AI Risk Summit
Usually August (next dates not announced) · Half Moon Bay, CA
Ticket $1,895 to $2,195. 2026 edition: $2,195 full pass, $1,895 early rate.
- ODSC AI West
Usually October (next dates not announced) · Burlingame, CA
Free expo floor; session passes $99 to $1,399. Expo pass free by application or $99 guaranteed; in-person from $699 (Learn) to…
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving San Mateo County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in California? How to file for unemployment in California (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
- NOVA Workforce Development Board
San Mateo; Cities: Cupertino, Milpitas, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale
Cities in San Mateo County
Other California counties
Laid off or looking for work in San Mateo County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from California’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. California unemployment benefits and severance rules.
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