County’s Jobless Rate Swells to 10.4% in July : Employment: The increase from 8.7% in June is largely due to an infusion of students seeking work, state officials say.

Ventura County’s jobless rate jumped to a yearly high of 10.4% in July, up from 8.7% a month earlier, an increase state officials largely attributed to an influx of students on summer break looking for jobs.

The number of county residents available for work swelled by more than 10,000 in July, compared to the previous month, according to a survey released by the state Employment Development Department. As a result, the number of unemployed Ventura County residents rose by more than 7,000 to 41,200 in July.

“If the labor force grows and people don’t go to work, then the jobless rate goes up,” said Bruce DeVine, head economist for the Southern California Assn. of Governments. “We tend to see swings in the size of the labor force as the school year changes.”

Still, Ventura County’s jobless picture was significantly worse than California as a whole, which registered a 9.9% unemployment rate, and the nation’s 6.9% jobless rate.

The county’s unemployment rate was also much higher than the July, 1992, rate of 8.8%.

In the July survey of Ventura County employers, only two of the 10 major industry sectors reported an increase in jobs: Construction and real estate posted 400 new positions. Meanwhile, the survey showed 500 fewer jobs in manufacturing and retailing.

Over the last 12 months, Ventura County lost a total of 3,800 jobs, according to state officials. During this period, local and federal governments lost 1,700 positions, manufacturers and retailers lost 1,600 jobs and transportation and public utilities another 300.

DeVine said that the recession continues to grip the economy and while the jobless rate might not climb too much higher, he doesn’t expect any significant improvement in the near future.

“I don’t think we’ve bottomed out yet,” he said.

Meanwhile, Larry Kennedy, supervisor of the Simi Valley employment office, agreed that students account for a part of the increase in the county’s jobless rate in July.

“We’ve had a lot of students come in the door looking for summer employment because one parent is unemployed or both,” Kennedy said. “For the last three years, we’ve had more youths looking for work than the year before.”

Kennedy said teachers looking for part-time summer jobs also make up some of the increased labor force.

“We have a lot of teachers looking for jobs to supplement their salaries,” he said, noting that many have either had their salaries cut or have not received pay increases to keep pace with inflation.

The July survey of county employers found that Ventura County agriculture lost 3,400 jobs between June and July, which officials said was a seasonal occurrence.

Claims for initial and extended unemployment benefits also rose in July, following the unemployment rate. According to local labor officials, 7,213 county residents filed claims for initial jobless benefits, up from 5,427 in June. Residents also filed 4,089 requests for extended benefits, up from 2,483.