County posts 26.8% unemployment in July
EL CENTRO – A smaller labor force and a small uptick in demand for farm labor helped offset the loss of about 1,900 non- farm jobs to help improve the county’s unemployment rate slightly in July, according to the latest estimates from the state Economic Development Department.
The local labor pool shrank by roughly 1,700 workers while non- farm jobs rose by 1,000, dropping Imperial County’s unemployment rate from a revised 27.4 percent in June to 26.8 percent in July.
The county registered 20.2 percent unemployment in July 2019.
State unemployment dropped from 14.9 percent in June to 13.3 percent in July, while the national percentages dropped from 11.1 percent to 10.2 percent.
As is typical of the summer months, Imperial County’s unemployment led rest of the state by a large margin, although this time around, the closest contender was not one of the rural counties like Colusa or Tulare, but Los Angeles, at 18.2 percent.
Leading all industry sectors in Imperial County for month- over job losses was government, which was down 1,800 jobs overall. All of the cuts came at the local level, with 2,000 jobs lost, while state and federal agencies added 100 jobs each.
The local payrolls of leisure and hospitality fell by 200 employees over the month, while rade, transportation, and utilities gained 100 jobs. All of the job gains came from retail trade (up 100). Employment in wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities remained constant, EDD reported.
The job levels of other services, educational and health services, professional and business services, financial activities, information, manufacturing, and mining, logging, and construction remained unchanged.
Between July 2019 and July 2020, Imperial County’s non-farm employment dropped by 3,000 jobs, from 50,800 to 47,800. Agricultural employment declined by 100, from 10,100 to 10,000.
Over the year, educational and health services ( down 1,500) led all industry sectors in payroll reductions, while leisure and hospitality reported a decline of 1,000 jobs.
Government slashed payrolls by 1,000 over the year. Job losses by the local government (down 1,200) more than offset job gains by the federal government ( up 200). State government employment registered no change.
Other services ( down 100) also curtailed employment levels.
Manufacturing gained 300 jobs. Non- durable goods (up 300) was responsible for all of the job gains.
Trade, transportation, and utilities logged an employment increase of 200. Retail trade boosted job levels by 400, outweighing employment losses in wholesale trade ( down 200). Transportation, warehousing, and utilities recorded no change in employment.
Mining, logging, and construction added 100 jobs.
The payroll levels of professional and business services, financial activities, and information all remained stagnant over the year.