Jobless rate jumps in Riverside County during June
Cynthia White
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (CNS) – A mix of losses and gains weighed on the regional economy last month, pushing Riverside County’s unemployment rate up more than a percentage point, according to figures released on Friday by the California Employment Development Department.
The countywide jobless rate in June, based on preliminary EDD estimates, was 6%, compared to 4.9% in May.
According to figures, the June rate was half a percentage point higher than the year-ago level, when countywide unemployment then stood at 5.5%.
The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties — the Inland Empire — was 5.9%, up from 4.8% in May, the EDD said.
Data showed Cherry Valley had the highest unemployment rate countywide in June at 12.4%, followed by Rancho Mirage at 9.6%, Coachella at 9.2%, Valle Vista at 8.7% and Blythe at 7.9%.
Bi-county data indicated that payrolls declined by the widest margin last month in the professional business services sector, which shed 2,400 positions.
Further losses were recorded in the trade, transportation and utilities, as well as the health services, sectors, reflecting an aggregate drop of 1,500 jobs.
The construction sector had the greatest gains in June, adding an estimated 1,700 positions, while additional increases were documented in the agricultural, hospitality, manufacturing and public sectors, which altogether swelled by 2,700 jobs, according to figures. Miscellaneous unclassified industries, along with the financial and information technology sectors, were unchanged.
The statewide non-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in June was 5.7%.