Return To School Improves Riverside County Unemployment Rate

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Gains outweighed losses throughout the regional economy last month, pushing the unemployment rate in Riverside County down, according to figures released Friday by the California Employment Development Department.

The jobless rate in August, based on preliminary EDD estimates, was 7.6%, compared to 7.9% in July.

The August rate was 4 percentage points lower than the year-ago level, when countywide unemployment stood at 11.6%, amid the public health lockdowns.

About 127,900 residents were recorded as out of work last month, and 1,028,400 were employed, according to EDD.

Coachella had the highest unemployment rate countywide in August at 14.4%, followed by Mecca at 12%, Winchester at 11.2%, East Hemet at 10.9% and Desert Hot Springs at 10.8%.

The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties in August was also 7.6%, down from 7.9% in July, according to figures.

Data from Riverside and San Bernardino counties indicated that payrolls expanded by the widest margin in the public sector, primarily in K-12 schools, as teachers, administrators and support personnel returned from summer hiatus, signifying an increase of 4,300 positions.

The warehousing, financial services, manufacturing and professional business services sectors altogether added 2,700 jobs, while miscellaneous unclassified industries posted a gain of 300.

The leisure and hospitality sector was unchanged.

Payrolls in the agricultural, construction, health services and information technology sectors declined by an estimated total 5,500 jobs, data showed.

EDD said the statewide non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate last month was 7.5%.