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San Diego County's unemployment rate drops to 4.1 percent

San Diego County's unemployment rate dropped to 4.1 percent last month despite seasonal cutbacks in leisure and hospitality jobs, the state Employment Development Department reported Friday.
San Diego County's unemployment rate drops to 4.1 percent

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego County's unemployment rate dropped to 4.1 percent last month despite seasonal cutbacks in leisure and hospitality jobs, the state Employment Development Department reported Friday.

The rate in September in San Diego compared with 4.7 percent in August, and 4.6 percent in September 2016. The seasonally unadjusted rate in California last month was 4.7 percent, while the national rate was 4.1 percent.

The EDD reported that for the month, the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector lost 1,800 positions, while 1,400 jobs were cut in accommodation and food services.

The losses were made up for by local government education hiring of 5,300 people as the school year began.

Local government education also led the way in annual hiring with 2,500 new jobs, according to the EDD. Gains were also seen in local religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations, up 2,100; and personal and laundry services, up 2,100.

Construction also saw large job gains, with 2,600 new specialty contractors and 1,200 positions in building construction, while 2,200 new jobs were created in real estate and leasing.

Job losses were seen over the past year in administrative and support services, 1,600; and professional, scientific and technical services, 1,300.

In September, 64,800 San Diegans were without work out of a civilian labor force of 1.59 million people. The total number of unemployed was 8,100 fewer than the same month last year.

"There were lots of positives in this month's data, with unemployment falling in every city as the labor force continues to grow," said Phil Blair of the staffing firm Manpower San Diego. "We should expect to see more job growth as we enter the winter months when seasonal hiring picks up."

San Diego's unemployment rate was the 16th best among California's 58 counties. San Mateo was first at 2.7 percent and Imperial last at a staggering 22.6 percent -- but two percentage points better than the prior month.

Within the county, the highest unemployment rates were 7.4 percent in Bostonia, an unincorporated community adjacent to El Cajon, and 6.4 percent in Imperial Beach. The lowest were 0.4 percent in Del Mar and 2.3 percent in Coronado.

The rate within San Diego city limits was 3.9 percent.

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