Riverside County's Jobless Rate Climbs Back Above 9 Percent

Seasonal factors pushed Riverside County’s unemployment rate up to 9.5 percent last month, state officials report.

The county’s jobless rate in July, based on preliminary estimates, was 1.1 percentage points higher than in June, according to the California Employment Development Department. The rate was lower than a year ago, however, when unemployment hovered at 11.1 percent.

According to the government’s figures, the countywide civilian labor force numbered 951,100, with 90,100 people out of work last month.

The unincorporated community of Cabazon had the highest unemployment rate countywide, at 24.3 percent, followed by Mecca at 19.3 percent and Homeland at 18.9 percent, according to the EDD.

The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties in July was 9.2 percent.

Bi-county data indicated payrolls dropped significantly in the public sector, which shrank by 18,200 positions. Most of the losses were in state and local schools, as teachers and support staff temporarily left the workforce for summer recess.

The farming, manufacturing and financial services sectors, along with miscellaneous services, showed payroll contraction, with a combined loss of 5,600 jobs.

Other sectors reported zero losses or modest gains, the largest of which was in leisure and hospitality, where payrolls expanded by 1,400 jobs in July, according to figures.

The state’s non-seasonally-adjusted jobless rate in July was 7.8 percent, according to the EDD.

— City News Service.