Orange County Unemployment

Although the county’s preliminary unemployment rate for 1991 is up significantly from lows in the 3% range during the late 1980s, joblessness during the year did not approach the 7% levels of the last recession. And the county’s unemployment rate remains well below the national mark.

U.S., ‘81: 9.7

Orange County, ‘81: 7.2

U.S., ‘91: 6.7

Orange County, ‘91: 4.8

Where Jobs Were Lost, Gained

While the broad statistics do not look too bad, 12,400 workers have been displaced in specific job categories in the past year, despite a few modest employment gains.

% Loss/Gain Category 1990 1991 Change in Jobs Goods Producing 323,300 308,300 -4.6 -15,000 Construction 69,000 61,600 -10.7 - 7,400 Manufacturing 253,000 245,600 -2.9 -7,400 Durable 181,200 173,700 -4.1 - 7,500 Non-Durable 71,800 71,900 +0.1 + 100 High Technology* 85,500 81,600 -4.6 - 3,900 Service Producing 895,800 899,300 +0.4 + 3,500 Retail Trade 221,800 218,600 -1.4 - 3,200 Services 326,300 330,500 +1.3 + 4,200 Finance, Insurance & Real Estate 102,500 103,300 +0.8 +1,200 Tourism* 131,300 131,200 -0.1 - 100 Agriculture 6,600 5,700 -13.6 - 900 TOTAL ALL INDUSTRIES 1,225,600 1,213,200 -1.0 -12,400

*These subgroups include jobs in other listed categories and are comparisons of December totals, rather than annual averages.

Sources: California Employment Development Department, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics