COUNTY JOBLESS LEVEL LOWEST IN MONTHS
In August, rate at 9.9%, best since pandemic began
San Diego County’s unemployment rate in August dropped to its lowest level, 9.9 percent, since the pandemic began.
While still high by historic standards, it has improved from May when the jobless rate for the county hit 15.2 percent — its highest ever recorded for records dating to 1990. August represents three months in a row of reduced jobless claims.
The last time unemployment was so low was the second week in March, 4.1 percent, before the governor issued stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The numbers come as new virus cases may cause much of San Diego County to shut down again as the region is in danger of heading into the lowest tier for opening, purple.
“Things are definitely heading in the right direction,” said Ray Major, chief economist at the San Diego Association of Governments. “The problem I see is if we go to the purple (tier), and what type of destruction that could cause.”
The non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in San Diego County of 9.9 percent was down from a revised 12.4 percent in July. It was still higher than the nationwide average of 8.5 percent but lower than the 11.6 percent average for California.
From July to August, education hiring was the biggest boost to payrolls with government hiring in one month totaling 6,800. It was followed by 5,300 added jobs in business and professional services (lawyers, architects, scientific research) and construction up by 3,100.
Tourism continues to be the hardest hit. From July to August, 400 jobs were lost — adding to an annual reduction of 60,100 leisure and hospitality positions. It is a significant portion of the 135,800 jobs lost in San Diego County over the last year.
Although August’s jobless numbers are improved,
Major said it is important to remember how damaging the losses to tourism are because it represents such a huge part of the local economy.
Lynn Reaser, chief economist for the Fermanian Business & Economic Institute at Point Loma Nazarene University, said the unemployment rate for August in San Diego was closer to 9.6 percent when adjusted for seasonal swings. That compares to an 11.4 percent California average and 8.4 percent nationwide.
“Following the relatively good news from August, the job market could get much tougher as we move into fall,” she said, also referencing the California government’s tier system that could close many businesses again.
Genine Wilson, vice president of global operations at staffing agency Kellyocg, said hiring is slowly picking up again, especially with manufacturing related to consumer goods. She said other jobs in high demand are security officers and temperature checkers.
However, she said it hasn’t been easy to fill positions because many workers consider themselves on break from jobs and are not eager to look for work. Also, she said the extra unemployment benefits, around $300 a week now for many Californians, does not motivate them to apply for jobs.
A secondary issue she has found is workers concerned about going back to work where they fear they could catch COVID-19 and bring it back to their families.
Wilson said so many workers staying home might give an opportunity to people who are actively looking for jobs, even helping them get a job they aren’t completely qualified for. If a good opportunity isn’t available, she advised taking certification or other skill classes to be ready when much of the economy is up and running again.
“Take advantage of the time,” Wilson said.
State labor officials do not seasonally adjust jobless rates for individual counties, but the unadjusted numbers show San Diego County had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the region in August at 9.9 percent. The rate was 16.6 percent in Los Angeles County, 9.9 percent in Orange County, 10.8 percent in San Bernardino County and 11.2 percent in Riverside County.
An analysis by Beacon Economics said Orange County had the steepest job losses, down about 11.2 percent annually. It was followed by Los Angeles, down 9.5 percent; San Diego, down 9 percent; Inland Empire, down 8.6 percent; and Ventura County down 7.7 percent.
Who’s Hiring
The San Diego Workforce Partnership has 85 job openings listed through its career portal at Workforce.org. The employers with the most available jobs are Home Depot, Grand Pacific Resorts, Lowe’s, Metropolitan Transit Systems and Scantibodies Laboratory.
Users must create a profile at Workforce.org to access open job positions through the career portal. Other companies hiring in San Diego that aren’t on the workforce website can be accessed directly on individual websites, such as Amazon, Target and Trader Joe’s.
People trying to figure out their next move might be interested in a new program from the partnership called My Next Move designed to help people pick a new career. The website, at workforce.org/my-next-move/, is designed to help unemployed workers find jobs with high growth and employment, as well as sustainable wages. Jobs range from dental hygienists to engineers.