Santa Barbara County, CA jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meSanta Barbara County economy
4.5%
unemployment, Sep 2026
4.6% the month before
226,288
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
443,975
people in Santa Barbara County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$95,977
median household income
Source: Census ACS
40%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Santa Barbara County ranks
Where Santa Barbara County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #13Counties with the most job openings per unemployed person in the West Coast3 per 100 · of 35
Santa Barbara 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 2.6% from 2022 to 2025
- Population down 1.4% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 4.5%, down 0.1 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+3,315 jobs), construction (+523 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: admin & staffing (−6,235 jobs), wholesale (−1,052 jobs)
Learn and get funded in Santa Barbara 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.
Santa Barbara County layoffs
3
Layoff notices, last 12 months
39
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
2
employers
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yerba Mate Co., LLC - Santa BarbaraTakes effect Sep 1, 2026 | Santa Barbara County | 1 | Layoff Permanent | State record | |
| Yerba Mate Co., LLC - Santa MariaTakes effect Sep 1, 2026 | Santa Barbara County | 1 | Layoff Permanent | State record | |
| Red Lobster Restaurants LLCTakes effect Aug 31, 2026 | Santa Barbara County | 37 | Closure Permanent | State record |
Employers hiring most in Santa Barbara 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.
- RTX39 open roles
- AppFolio24 open roles
- Arthrex9 open roles
- Hilton Worldwide Holdings8 open roles
- Heico7 open roles
- Excel Personnel Services5 open roles
- Mission Support and Test Services (MSTS)5 open roles
- Nevada National Security Site Mission Support and Test Services5 open roles
- Sutter Health5 open roles
- Avantor4 open roles
Largest employers headquartered in Santa Barbara County
Employee counts with a year are published figures (Wikidata). Other sizes are estimates from our company directory, not payroll counts.
Colleges in Santa Barbara County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Public 4-year | 20,000+ |
| Westmont College | Santa Barbara | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Antioch University-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Fielding Graduate University | Santa Barbara | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| The Colleges of Law at Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Conferences in Santa Barbara County
Industry conferences and trade shows held in Santa Barbara County. 3 with dates announced.
- HealthLeaders CNO Exchange
Mar 10 to Mar 12, 2027 · Santa Barbara, CA
By invitation only. Sponsor-supported, no attendee fee.
- HealthLeaders CEO Exchange
Jun 23 to Jun 25, 2027 · Santa Barbara, CA
By invitation only. Sponsor-supported, no attendee fee.
- MMA CMO + CEO Summit
Jul 18 to Jul 20, 2027 · Santa Barbara, CA
Apply to attend. Price not published.
- Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit
Usually October (next dates not announced) · Santa Barbara, CA
By invitation only. Invitation-only; membership application on Fortune's site. 2026 edition was Oct 12-14.
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Santa Barbara 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).
- Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board
Santa Barbara
American Job Center of California- Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara · Affiliate · 805-568-1296
Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
America`s Job Center of California Workforce Resource Center
Santa Maria · Comprehensive · 805-614-1550
Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Cities in Santa Barbara County
Other California counties
Laid off or looking for work in Santa Barbara 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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