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Losses in the agricultural, construction and other sectors of the regional economy led to a slight jump last month in Riverside County’s unemployment rate, according to figures released Friday by the California Employment Development Department.
The countywide jobless rate in August, based on preliminary EDD estimates, was 5.4%, compared to 5% in July.
According to figures, the August rate was a full percentage point above the year-ago level, when countywide unemployment stood at 4.4%.
An estimated 61,800 county residents were recorded as out of work last month, and 1,081,300 were employed, according to EDD.
Mecca had the highest unemployment rate countywide in August at 13.1%, followed by Coachella at 11.4%, Cherry Valley at 9.7%, Rancho Mirage at 7.7% and East Hemet at 7.4%.
The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties — the Inland Empire — in August was 5.3%, up from 4.9% in July, according to figures.
Bi-county data indicated that payrolls declined by the widest margin in the agricultural sector, which shed 1,700 positions.
Additional losses were recorded in the construction, financial services, information technology and hospitality sectors, which altogether lost about 2,000 jobs, data showed. Miscellaneous unclassified industries also slashed payrolls by 600, according to the EDD.
Payrolls expanded in the health services, manufacturing, professional business services, public and transportation sectors, which altogether added 11,400 jobs in August, figures showed.
Only the mining sector was unchanged.
Data indicated the statewide nonseasonally adjusted unemployment rate in August was 5.1%.
