Lake Elsinore's Jobless Rate Lower Than County Average

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — With payroll gains exceeding losses throughout the regional economy, Riverside County's unemployment rate fell last month, state officials reported Friday. The jobless rate in November, based on preliminary estimates, was 4.1 percent, compared to 4.4 percent in October, according to the California Employment Development Department.

Locally, Lake Elsinore's unemployment was reported at 3.8 percent, while Wildomar's was 3.9 percent, state data showed.

The countywide rate was also a half percentage point lower than the year-ago level, when unemployment stood at 4.6 percent. Roughly 45,800 residents were out of work in November, and 1,064,700 were employed, according to the EDD.

Coachella had the highest unemployment rate countywide at 11.7 percent, followed by the unincorporated community of Cabazon at 10.8 percent and Winchester at 7.3 percent.

Riverside County's numbers by city and census designated place for November stood at (data via EDD):

• Riverside County: 4.1%
• Banning city: 4.8%
• Beaumont city: 3.1%
• Bermuda Dunes CDP: 3.5%
• Blythe city: 4.8%
• Cabazon CDP: 10.8%
• Calimesa city: 4.9%
• Canyon Lake city: 2.6%
• Cathedral City city: 3.5%
• Cherry Valley CDP: 3.2%
• Coachella city: 11.7%
• Corona city: 3.1%
• Desert Hot Springs city: 5.3%
• East Hemet CDP: 5.6%
• Eastvale City city: 2.8%
• El Cerrito CDP: 2.5%
• Hemet city: 5.6%
• Highgrove CDP: 6.5%
• Home Gardens CDP: 3.2%
• Homeland CDP: 4.7%
• Idyllwild Pine Cove CDP: 3.0%
• Indian Wells city: 3.1%
• Indio city: 5.3%
• Jurupa Valley city: 3.4%
• La Quinta city: 4.0%
• Lake Elsinore city: 3.8%
• Lakeland Village CDP: 7.0%
• Lakeview CDP: 4.4%
• March AFB CDP: 5.9%
• Mecca CDP: 4.8%
• Menifee city: 3.9%
• Moreno Valley city: 4.1%
• Murrieta city: 3.2%
• Norco city: 3.3%
• Nuevo CDP: 4.3%
• Palm Desert city: 3.6%
• Palm Springs city: 3.8%
• Perris city: 4.6%
• Rancho Mirage city: 2.5%
• Riverside city: 3.4%
• Romoland CDP: 4.5%
• San Jacinto city: 4.8%
• Temecula city: 3.2%
• Thousand Palms CDP: 3.1%
• Valle Vista CDP: 5.2%
• Wildomar CDP: 3.9%
• Winchester CDP: 7.3%
• Woodcrest CDP: 4.3%

The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties last month was 3.9 percent, down from 4.1 in October.

Bi-county data indicated payrolls expanded by the widest margin in the retail trade sector, which added 12,700 positions, as outlets geared up for the holiday shopping season.

The leisure and hospitality industry, also in seasonal hiring mode, added the next-highest number of workers -- 4,100 -- while the agricultural, construction, educational services, health services, financial services and public sectors altogether added another 5,500 jobs regionally, according to the EDD.

The professional services sector shed the largest number of positions last month -- 1,700. Payrolls were also cut in the manufacturing and information technology sectors, as well as in miscellaneous uncategorized industries, for an aggregate loss of 900 jobs.

According to the EDD, the state's non-seasonally-adjusted jobless rate in November was 3.9 percent.

— City News Service contributed to this report / Image via Shutterstock