Report: County’s Jobless Rate Unchanged in October

(CNS) – Despite gains in multiple sectors, Riverside County’s unemployment rate was unchanged last month, according to figures released Friday by the California Employment Development Department. The jobless rate in October, based on preliminary EDD estimates, remained the same as September — 4%. According to figures, the October rate was roughly 2 percentage points lower than the year-ago level, when countywide unemployment stood at 6.1%, as the statewide coronavirus public health lockdowns were gradually eased. An estimated 46,800 county residents were recorded as out of work in October, and 1,123,500 were employed, according to EDD. Coachella had the highest unemployment rate countywide last month at 9.9%, followed by Cherry Valley at 7.5%, Mecca at 6.5%, Rancho Mirage at 6.1%, and Hemet at 5.8%. The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties in October was 3.9%, unchanged from September, according to figures. Bi-county data indicated that payrolls expanded by the widest margin in trade, transportation and utilities, with the bulk of the 12,200 new jobs in the shipping and warehousing space. Additional gains were documented in the agricultural, construction, financial services, health services, information technology, manufacturing and public sectors, which altogether swelled by 16,200 positions regionwide. Officials said that payrolls only declined in the leisure and hospitality sector, which shed 300 positions. Data indicated that the statewide non-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in October was 3.8%. Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.