Riverside County’s jobless rate jumps

RIVERSIDE (CNS) - Riverside County’s unemployment rate began the year higher than where it ended the last one amid a series of payroll losses, according to figures released today by the California Employment Development Department.

The countywide jobless rate in January, based on preliminary EDD estimates, was 5.5%, compared to 5.1% in December.

The EDD posted the data outside of its usual schedule due to an annual statistical revision process done in concert with the U.S. Department of Labor known as “benchmarking,” which is intended to improve accuracy of results. The process will wrap up later this month, at which point the February jobless figures will also be released.

According to data, the January rate was a full percentage point above the year-ago level, when countywide unemployment stood at 4.5%.

An estimated 64,300 county residents were recorded as out of work in January, and 1,099,800 were employed, according to EDD.

Mecca had the highest unemployment rate countywide in January at 13.3%, followed by Cherry Valley and Coachella, each at 9.9%, Rancho Mirage at 7.8%, Desert Hot Springs at 7.7% and East Hemet at 7.6%.

The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties -- the Inland Empire -- in January was also 5.5%, up from 5% in December, the EDD said.

Bi-county data indicated that payrolls declined virtually across the board, but the sector hemorrhaging the largest number was trade and transportation, which posted a loss of 15,500 positions, particularly in retail as brickand-mortar stores cut back after the holidays.

The agricultural, construction, financial services, health services, hospitality, information technology, manufacturing, professional business services and public sectors altogether shed roughly 15,800 jobs.