Riverside County’s Jobless Rate
RIVERSIDE (CNS) – Riverside County’s unemployment rate edged lower last month amid payroll gains across many sectors of the regional economy, according to figures released Friday by the California Employment Development Department.
The countywide jobless rate in March, based on preliminary EDD estimates, was 5.2%, compared to 5.6% in February.
According to data, the March rate was nearly a percentage point above the year-ago level, when countywide unemployment stood at 4.4%.
Mecca had the highest unemployment rate countywide in March at 12.5%, followed by Cherry Valley at 9.3%, Coachella at 8.7%, Rancho Mirage at 7.3% and Hemet at 7.2%.
The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties — the Inland Empire — in March was 5.1%, down from 5.5% in February, the EDD reported.
Bi-county data indicated payrolls expanded by the widest margin in the public sector, mainly in the regional education system, with an estimated 2,300 jobs added.
Additional gains were recorded in the construction, health services and professional business services sectors, which altogether grew by 4,800 jobs, according to the EDD.
Miscellaneous unclassified industries also showed payroll growth, totaling about 200 positions.
The warehousing trade sector shed the highest number of jobs at 900, while another 300 positions were lost in manufacturing, with an equal amount gone in financial services.
The agricultural, mining and information technology sectors were unchanged last month, the EDD said.
The statewide non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in March was 5.3%.
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