Unemployment has slight dip, challenges continue
The unemployment rate for Imperial County saw a small dip from 21.3 percent in April to 20.5 percent in the month of May according to the state Employment Development Department.
Despite having the highest rate in the state of California by far, there are some encouraging signs of improvement. Compared to May 2016 the rate of unemployment decreased from 22.6 to this year. Since 2012 the unemployment rate for the month of May has decreased from 27.5 to the current 20.5 percentage. “I think the economic development efforts at the local level have prompted additional local hires. An increase in infrastructure projects has had a positive impact and have given local workforce a better chance of getting hired,” said Miguel Figueroa, Director of the Imperial County Workforce Development Board. “I want to see the tendency that we’ve seen over the past two years continue, that is what we should continue to expect.”
Due to the fact that the Valley’s economy heavily relies on the Agricultural sector, which accounts for nearly one out of every five jobs and also due to its seasonal nature, the numbers can vary a lot throughout the year. The number is expected to increase during the summer months, typically July and August are the months with the higher percentage of unemployment.
According to the figures released by the EDD on Friday, between April and March, those are the most important figures to take into account. Agricultural jobs between May of last year compared to this year’s dropped 14.5 percent. The transportation, warehousing and utilities sector along with the business services sector experience a 4 percent decrease in jobs in the Valley. On the other hand, construction has seen the biggest jump in job creation in the last year with a growth of 11 percent followed by production of goods at 6.7 percent and wholesale trade, educational and health services experience a growth of just above 5 percent.
Figueroa recognized that there is still a lot of work to be done, after all the unemployment rate in the Valley is completely disproportionate to the state’s 4.2 percent unemployment rate, but with some of the latest developments and efforts done locally, he feels the current trend of steady decrease in unemployment can continue.
“Right now it’s important not to overlook the effort that has been made by our local representatives at the state level who have done a great job at getting infrastructure monies for our county which gives us better opportunities for us to promote and create different opportunities for economic development in our efforts to decrease the unemployment rate,” he said. An effort he was very engaged in is in Assembly Bill 1111 which Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia authored. The bill, if passed would establish a competitive grant program which will provide assistance for disadvantaged individuals such as veterans, under-skilled workers, out-of-school youth, single mothers and those who have been previously incarcerated, to gain opportunities to gain new skills through training and apprenticeships in their respective area that can give them an opportunity to land better job opportunities, which can then lead to self-sufficiency and economic stability.
The bill has already been approved by the Assembly and it’s currently on its way to the Senate. Garcia in a statement regarding the passage of the state’s budget praised fellow lawmakers and the Governor in approving AB 1114 which grants $2 million to the Supervised Workforce Training Grant Program as well as small business assistance.
“I am glad that legislature was able to negotiate more investment for small business assistance. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GO-Biz) will be receiving $3 million for the California Small Business Development Center,” Garcia said in a written statement. “This will help our Golden State support small businesses and continue to lead the nation in job creation.”
This funding will prove essential in increasing employment prospects for the re-entry population. This will create job training opportunities for former inmates, decrease repeat offender rates, all adding up to safer and economically thriving communities.”
“I am glad that legislature was able to negotiate more investment for small business assistance. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GO-Biz) will be receiving $3 million for the California Small Business Development Center. This will help our Golden State support small businesses and continue to lead the nation in job creation.”
In addition to these efforts, important developments at Imperial Center in Heber, Gran Plaza Outlets in Calexico along with a continuation of construction throughout the valley could go a long way in allowing the county to further decrease the unemployment rate.
“When you compare the rates of the same month to previous year you can see that we’ve started to see a significant dip,” Figueroa said. “We want to keep pushing all of the agencies and partners to continue to their work we’re all doing. It’s paying off.” Staff Writer Edwin Delgado can be reached at edelgado@ ivpressonline.com