LOS ANGELES COUNTY - News from May 1, 1995

April Jobless Figures Due: In the face of increasing signs of a slowdown in the national economy, can the long-struggling job markets in Los Angeles County and the entire state hold on to their recent modest gains? The new unemployment figures due out for the county and the state Friday should provide some answers. During the first three months of the year, the state added new jobs at a pace 75% faster than it did throughout 1994. The state’s jobless rate did rise to 7.6% in March, up from a four-year low of 7.3% in February, but that was still down from 8.2% in January. Analysts largely attributed the increase in the jobless rate to rain-related disruptions in scattered industries. The county’s rate--which, unlike the U.S. and state rates, is not adjusted for seasonal trends--inched up to 8% in March from 7.9%, but economists noted that it was still well below the 8.9% of January.