UNEMPLOYMENT DROPS IN STATE AND REGION
East County News Service
May 21, 2018 (San Diego) -- Unemployment in California has fallen to 4.2% statewide—a new record and the lowest rate since 1976.
In San Diego County, the news is even better. Countywide, unemployment in April dropped to just 2.9 percent as our region’s labor market continues to tighten, according to the State Employment Development Department. Our local unemployment rate is one percent lower than April of last year, and the lowest that it’s been since January 2000, over 18 years ago.
Our region’s unemployment rate is also below the national rate of 3.8 percent.
So where are all of those new jobs locally? The construction industry grew 6.2 percent in the past year, while professional and business service industries also had substantial growth. Only the leisure and hospitality industry lost jobs, shrinking by 1.6 percent in the past year.
In total, the regional labor force in San Diego County includes over 1.5 million people.
Statewide, the biggest employment gains were in education and healthcare, as well as professional and business services and the construction industry.