County’s Jobless Rate Remains Below 4 Percent

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – Despite losses in a few sectors of the regional
economy, Riverside County’s unemployment remained below 4% last month,
according to figures released today by the California Employment Development
Department.

The jobless rate in May, based on preliminary EDD estimates, was 3.4%,
compared to 3.8% in April.

According to figures, the May rate was over four percentage points
lower than the year-ago level, when countywide unemployment stood at 7.5%, as
the statewide coronavirus public health lockdowns were gradually eased.

An estimated 38,500 county residents were recorded as out of work in
May, and 1,110,100 were employed, according to EDD.

Coachella had the highest unemployment rate countywide last month at
7.7%, followed by Cherry Valley at 6.3%, Mecca at 5.4%, Hemet and Rancho Mirage
both at 5.1%, and Perris at 4.6%.

The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino
counties in May was also 3.4%, and also down from 3.8% in April, according to
figures.

Bi-county data indicated that payrolls expanded by the widest margin
in the leisure and hospitality industry, which added 2,700 positions in May.

Additional gains were documented in the agricultural, health services,
information technology, government and manufacturing sectors, which
altogether swelled by 4,500 jobs in May, according to EDD.

The agency said that another 400 positions were added in miscellaneous
unclassified industries, while the mining sector was unchanged.

Payrolls sank the largest in the trade and transportation sector,
which shed 1,200 positions.

Payrolls also shrank in construction, financial services and business
and professional business services, which lost a total 2,300 jobs.

Data showed that the statewide non-seasonally adjusted unemployment
rate in May was, like the Inland Empire, 3.4%.

Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.

CNS-06-17-2022 10:52