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Unemployment in Los Angeles County was unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 5.4% in February, compared with January’s rate, according to statistics released Friday by the California Employment Development Department.
The county’s unadjusted unemployment rate was 5%, the EDD reported.
Civilian employment rose by 6,000 to 4,730,000 new hires in February, while unemployment decreased by 2,000 to 268,000. The civilian labor force lost 8,000 jobs over the month to 4,998,000.
In February of last year the county’s unemployment rate was 4.9%, which amounts to a difference of 9,400 nonfarm jobs.
The EDD explained how seasonally adjusted data works: “By seasonally adjusting employment, statisticians attempt to adjust the influences of predictable seasonal patterns to reveal how employment and unemployment change from month to month. The adjustment consists of either raising or lowering the actual employment reported by a certain percentage to reflect the normal seasonal increases or decreases that historically occur.”
In Orange County, the February unemployment rate was 4.2%, unchanged from January.
Total nonfarm jobs increased from 1,678,400 to 1,688,800, a gain of 10,400 for OC.
The California unemployment rate edged upward to 5.3% in February from January’s 5.2%. The state lost 3,400 nonfarm jobs, according to the EDD.
The overall number of employed Californians was 18,321,900 in February, down 20,100 from the previous month and 82,600 fewer than a year ago, the EDD reported.
Unemployed Californians totaled 1,027,000 in February, an increase of 13,100 from January’s 165,400 and up by 165,400 compared with February 2023.
The national unemployment rate was 4.2% in February, the EDD reported.
Los Angeles County’s total employment in February was 4,761,700 while the jobless totaled 252,900, according to the EDD.
Four of the state’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs in February. Private education and health services had the largest month-over-month increases, adding 15,400 jobs.
Significant losses compared with last month were in construction, which was down 9,600 jobs. February storms had a lot to do with the construction decline, and trade, transportation and utilities jobs also slipped by 7,300, according to the EDD.
Inland Empire
Riverside County’s unemployment rate moved higher to 5.6%, up from January’s 5.5%, the EDD reported.
The countywide jobless rate in February, based on preliminary EDD estimates, was 5.6%, compared to 5.5% in January.
According to data, the February rate was a full percentage point above the year-ago level, when countywide unemployment stood at 4.6%.
Mecca had the highest unemployment rate countywide in February at 13.4%, followed by Cherry Valley at 10%, Coachella at 9.4%, Rancho Mirage at 7.9% and East Hemet and Hemet, each at 7.7%.
Riverside and San Bernardino counties’ combined unemployment rate in February was 5.5%, unchanged from January, the EDD reported.
San Bernardino’s February jobless rate was 5.4%, according to the EDD.
Bi-county statistics showed payrolls grew in multiple sectors. The largest gain was health services’ 3,800 new hires.
More increases occurred in the construction, financial services, hospitality, professional business services and public sectors, which added 3,300 jobs, according to the EDD.
Unclassified industries also added 500 new jobs.
Warehousing and retail trade lost the highest number of Inland Empire jobs with 4,700, EDD stats showed. Another 400 positions were shed in each of the manufacturing and agricultural sectors, while mining and information technology were unchanged last month, the EDD said.
San Diego
San Diego County unemployment stayed at 4.7% in February, unchanged from January and 1% higher than the rate in February 2023, the EDD reported.
Total nonfarm jobs in the San Diego area increased by 6,000 for a total of 1,551,900 jobs.
In February professional and business services rebounded from the previous month’s plunge of 3,600 jobs and led all industries with an 3,100 new positions.
Temporary accounting services accounted for 1,200 of the county’s new jobs, and 900 were reported in professional, scientific and technical services, according to EDD data.
The leisure and hospitality sectors added 2,500 more jobs, along with 1,800 in accommodation and food services and 700 in the arts, entertainment and recreation sectors.
Private education and health services added hired 1,900 workers, and every subsection of the health care field posted February gains.
Compared with February 2023, nonfarm employment in San Diego County rose 13,600, or 0.9%, led by the private education and health services industries. Those sectors added 15,000 jobs.
Leisure and hospitality added 6,100 jobs, with 3,100 jobs in arts, entertainment, and recreation compared with February 2023. Another 3,000 jobs were added accommodation/food services, and government jobs increased by 5,700 — most growth there was in local governments.
