County Jobless Rate at 8.2% : Economy: The numbers, which reflect government layoffs and seasonal factors, represent a marked improvement over ’94.

Led by gains in nearly all types of jobs, Ventura County posted an 8.2% unemployment rate for July, almost a full point better than the previous year.

But more people were out of work in July than the previous month, according to a report released Friday by the state Employment Development Department.

The county’s unemployment rate stood at 6.9% in June and at 9.1% in July, 1994. Employment officials attributed the rise from June to July to the fact that 1,300 government workers lost their jobs.

Most of those employees work at public schools, said Sonja Speer of the EDD.

In all, the agency counted 396,600 people in the Ventura County labor pool last month, up nearly 900 from the previous July. In addition, there were 4,300 more jobs in the county last month than in July, 1994.

“This is a really good report,” said economist Mark Schniepp, who heads the UC Santa Barbara Economic Project and keeps watch on the Ventura County economy.

In January, Schniepp released an economic forecast predicting that there would be 3,400 more jobs this year than last.

“Our forecast looks solid after seven months,” Schniepp said.

Speer said more people are typically out of work in July than June because of the school term ending. Not only do seasonal workers raise the rate, out-of-school students over 16 years old are counted as unemployed, she said.

About 1,400 more workers were in the fields last month than the previous year. Agriculture accounted for 19,500 jobs in July, but that was a decrease of almost 1,000 from June.

Meanwhile, the service sector--which includes everything from accountants to attorneys--posted a gain of 1,600 jobs in the last year. Retail and construction each added 800 jobs during the same period.

The wholesale trade also made gains, adding 400 jobs between July, 1994, and July, 1995.

But the trickle of high-paying jobs in manufacturing and technology out of the county continued. About 1,200 manufacturing jobs were lost in the last year, and 700 high-tech workers lost their jobs between July, 1994, and last month.

Schniepp said that a lot of the service jobs pay more than average and will help boost the economy.

“These are jobs in business and health care,” Schniepp said. “They aren’t schlocky jobs.”

Schniepp called the second-quarter figures--which showed increasing unemployment and plunging home prices--an aberration. The latest unemployment figures show that the broad economy is back on track, he said.

“It should continue to improve throughout the year. Unless the Federal Reserve Board decides to up the prime rate two points. I’d hate to see that.”

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Ventura County Jobless Rate

July, 1995: 8.2%

Annual Rates

1994: 7.9%

1993: 8.8%

1992: 8.8%

Source: State Employment Development Department