El Cerrito's Unemployment Rate Among Lowest in County, Data Shows

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Contra Costa County covers a wide geographical area, and the unemployment rate is equally diverse, according to the latest figures released by the state's Employment Development Department.

According to EDD's August update, about 63,100 non-farm payroll jobs were added that month in California, while the state's unemployment rate remained at 5.5 percent as it did the previous month in July. Also in August, 151,000 jobs were added nationwide as the national unemployment rate was measured at 4.9 percent, employment department officials said. All numbers are based on preliminary estimates and is not seasonally adjusted.

Contra Costa County's jobless rate was 4.7 percent in August, EDD data shows. The agency said 26,700 of the county's 561,600-strong labor force were without work.

In El Cerrito, that rate was even lower, at just 4.2 percent, according to the EDD. The local labor force is 13,800 and 600 were without work in August.

Here is a breakdown of the unemployment rates across Contra Costa County, as provided by the EDD:

• Contra Costa County: 4.7%

• Alamo: 2.4%
• Antioch: 6.6%
• Bay Point: 9.0%
• Bethel Island: 6.2%
• Brentwood: 4.0%
• Byron: 6.1%
• Clayton: 4.1%
• Clyde: 3.8%
• Concord: 5.1%
• Crockett: 3.0%
• Danville: 3.8%
• Diablo: 0.0%
• Discovery Bay: 4.8%
• East Richmond Heights: 4.9%
• El Cerrito : 4.2%
• El Sobrante: 4.5%
• Hercules: 3.1%
• Kensington: 1.8%
• Knightsen: 4.6%
• Lafayette: 2.6%
• Martinez: 4.3%
• Moraga: 3.3%
• Mountain View: 9.3%
• Oakley: 5.9%
• Orinda: 2.3%
• Pacheco: 7.3%
• Pinole: 4.0%
• Pittsburg: 5.7%
• Pleasant Hill: 4.0%
• Port Costa: 0.0%
• Richmond: 5.5%
• Rodeo: 5.0%
• Rollingwood: 6.0%
• San Pablo: 7.3%
• San Ramon: 3.2%
• Tara Hills: 9.6%
• Vine Hill: 10.2%
• Walnut Creek: 3.2%

Both Marin and San Francisco counties came in second for the lowest unemployment rate at 3.5 percent. Meanwhile, Solano County held the region's highest unemployment rate at 5.7 percent.

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Both Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties also held high unemployment rates, respectively, with Monterey County at 5.7 percent and Santa Cruz County at 5.8 percent, according to the employment department survey.

The survey also measured the number of Californians holding down jobs in August at 18,170,000, which was up by 57,000 from July, and up by 354,000 when compared to August of 2015.

The number of unemployed Californians was measured at 1,061,000 in August, up 12,000 from July, but down 85,000 from August of last year, employment department officials said.

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The 63,100 non-farm jobs added in August in California brings the total number of non-farm jobs in the state to 16,534,300, according to the survey.

The employment department's numbers are based on a survey of 58,000 California businesses, according to employment department officials.

– Renee Schiavone of Patch and Bay City News Service contributed to this report / Image via Shutterstock