California favorites In-N-Out and Trader Joe’s made the top of a recent list of best employers with over 500 employees in the state.
Forbes released its annual list of America’s best employers by state on Aug. 21 and ranked more than 2,500 companies throughout the country.
The publication partnered with market research firm Statista to survey more than 160,000 employees on how they would rate their employer from 0-10. The survey included criteria such as wage parity, work culture, paths to professional advancement and whether the employer takes action on issues such as sexual harassment.
Some smaller states had only three employers on their list, while a more populous state like California had over 100 listed.
What are California’s best employers?
California’s top employers, according to Forbes, include companies both based in and out of the state.
The top employer in California was an out-of-state pick, Progressive Insurance, based in Mayfield, Ohio.
In-N-Out made the No. 2 spot on a list dominated by tech companies. The famous burger chain was founded in 1948 and is currently headquartered in Irvine.
Here is the list of the 10 best employers in California:
No. 1- Progressive Insurance based in Mayfield Village, Ohio.
No. 2- In-N-Out Burger based in Irvine, California.
No. 3- Ford Motors based in Dearborn, Michigan
No. 4- Microsoft headquartered in Redmond, Washington.
No. 5- Google based in Mountain View, California.
No. 6- Stanford University Education in Stanford, California.
No. 7- Trader Joe’s in Monrovia, California.
No. 8- NVIDIA based in Santa Clara, California.
No. 9- Apple based in Cupertino, California.
No. 10- University of California, San Diego based in La Jolla, California.
To see the full list of employers, visit: forbes.com/lists/best-employers-by-state/.
What is the unemployment rate in California?
The unemployment rate in California increased slightly in July 2025 to 5.5%, according to state statistics. The seasonally adjusted rate in June 2025 was 5.4%.
California’s economy is estimated to have increased by 15,000 jobs, according to a department news release.
The national unemployment rate in July 2025 was 4.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The state is also among the highest hourly earners with an average of $41.02 according to a bureau news release.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Forbes names In-N-Out, Trader Joe’s among best employers in California