Temecula's Jobless Rate is Far Below County Average, Data Shows

Riverside County’s jobless rate fell below 7 percent last month, with gains in all but two sectors of the regional economy, state officials reported Friday.

The unemployment rate in February, based on preliminary estimates, was 6.9 percent, compared to 7.4 percent the prior month. The rate was down more than 2.5 percentage points compared to a year ago, when county unemployment stood at 9.5 percent, according to California Employment Development Department data.

The countywide civilian labor force numbered 1,021,400, with 70,700 people out of work in February, EDD data shows.

The unincorporated community of Mecca had the highest unemployment rate countywide at 17.8 percent, followed by Cabazon at 13.8 percent and the March Air Reserve Base census-designated community at 13.5 percent, according to government data.

Here’s the full list of Riverside County’s latest unemployment numbers:

• Banning city 6.1%
• Beaumont city 4.1%
• Bermuda Dunes CDP 7.1%
• Blythe city 7.7%
• Cabazon CDP 13.8%
• Calimesa city 4.6%
• Canyon Lake city 5.2%
• Cathedral City city 5.6%
• Cherry Valley CDP 6.6%
• Coachella city 10.7%
• Corona city 5.4%
• Desert Hot Springs city 8.2%
• East Hemet CDP 8.2%
• Eastvale City city 4.6%
• El Cerrito CDP 8.2%
• Hemet city 9.6%
• Highgrove CDP 6.8%
• Home Gardens CDP 6.0%
• Homeland CDP 11.2%
• Idyllwild Pine Cove CDP 5.2%
• Indian Wells city 5.0%
• Indio city 7.5%
• Jurupa Valley city 9.0%
• La Quinta city 4.4%
• Lake Elsinore city 7.4%
• Lakeland Village CDP 10.5%
• Lakeview CDP 11.5%
• March AFB CDP 13.5%
• Mecca CDP 17.8%
• Menifee city 8.1%
• Moreno Valley city 7.4%
• Murrieta city 5.5%
• Norco city 5.5%
• Nuevo CDP 6.1%
• Palm Desert city 4.9%
• Palm Springs city 5.7%
• Perris city 10.0%
• Rancho Mirage city 5.8%
• Riverside city 6.6%
• Romoland CDP 9.3%
• San Jacinto city 10.3%
• Temecula city 5.0%
• Thousand Palms CDP 5.6%
• Valle Vista CDP 6.9%
• Wildomar CDP 7.0%
• Winchester CDP 5.6%
• Woodcrest CDP 6.8%

The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties in February was 6.8 percent, down from 7.3 percent the prior month.

Bi-county data indicated payrolls expanded significantly in construction, the educational services sector and in leisure and hospitality, which altogether added 8,300 jobs. There were smaller gains in the public sector, manufacturing, professional services, financial services, information technology and miscellaneous unclassified industries.

The retail trade sector shed 2,200 positions, as stores continued downsizing after the holiday shopping season, and the farm sector lost 200 jobs, according to the EDD.

The agency reported that the state’s non-seasonally-adjusted jobless rate in February was 6.8 percent.

– City News Service contributed to this report.

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