Riverside county jobless rates dip in May despite mixed economic trends
Haley Meberg
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ)– Riverside County’s unemployment rate dropped marginally amidst payroll losses and gains in the regional economy.
California Employment Development Department (EDD) reports that throughout the month of May countywide jobless rates estimated at 4.7%, compared to 4.9% in April. The May 2026 rate lies three-tenths of a percentage lower than last year’s level, when unemployment rates in Riverside County stood at 5%.
Countywide payrolls in the professional business, health services, hospitality, information technology and trade, as well as transportation and utilities sectors faced significant declines with 4,200 positions being shed throughout the county.
However, bi-county data from the EDD revealed large payroll expansions in the agricultural, construction, manufacturing, and public sectors with 2,400 positions being added in May, contributing to this change in rate.
Stay with News Channel 3 for more updates.