County Jobless Rate Rises to 3.2%
Pushed by seasonal job declines in the tourism, retail and construction industries, Orange County’s unemployment rate bumped up to 3.2% in September from 2.9% in August, the state Employment Development Department said Friday.
Despite the slight increase for the month, the county rate remains well under the 4% mark that economists use to define full employment.
The EDD said the total estimated number of jobs in Orange County in September hit 1,163,200, up 2.2% from 1,137,700 a year ago for an annual gain of 25,500 jobs.
The estimated number of unemployed Orange County residents rose in September to 44,500 from 39,800 in August.
Major job increases were reported in the public utilities industry with the end of the telephone employees’ strike and in the government sector as thousands of teachers and other school employees returned to the classroom.
The county’s September unemployment rate was the third lowest jobless rate in the state, trailing--as usual--only Marin and San Mateo counties. Both are relatively high-income suburban areas of Northern California. Marin County posted a 2.5% jobless rate in September while the rate in San Mateo County was 2.7%.
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