Jobless numbers hold steady

Unemployment in Santa Clarita held steady at 4.8 percent in September compared to August, according to figures released Friday by the state’s Employment Development Department.

The August rate was also 4.8 percent.

That non-seasonally adjusted figure reflects about 4,700 jobless residents out of a total local workforce of 98,400, the statistics show.

The 4.8 percent Santa Clarita rate compares to a statewide 5.3 percent unemployment figure in September (down from 5.6 percent in August), and a county rate

of 5.2 percent (down a tick from 5.3 percent in August).

Burbank and Pasadena – cities similar in size to Santa Clarita – also held fairly steady in September, according to the state’s data. Burbank remained at 4.3 percent compared to August, while Pasadena checked in at 4.6 percent, down one-tenth from August’s 4.7.

Santa Clarita’s data reflect a generally improving jobless picture in recent months, and compared to similar periods from a year ago.

The city’s jobless rate in September 2015 was 5.7 percent, while the state’s was 5.6 percent and L.A. County’s 6.2 percent. Santa Clarita’s August 2015 figure was 6.1 percent.

Denise Covert, an economic development associate with the City of Santa Clarita, said the city prefers to focus on those year-toyear comparisons, as they are more representative of larger employment trends.

“These numbers are a reflection of what we’re hearing in the community, that the economy continues to be strong here in Santa Clarita, and we know there’s a lot hiring going on,’’ Covert told The Signal.

As examples, Covert said the Cheesecake Factory in the Valencia Mall is currently hiring, and that the America’s Job Center of California, which has a partnership with College of Canyons, has been “very busy.”

America’s Job Center is a program that helps employers fill openings and jobseekers raise specific skills, she said.

Looking at earlier figures, the city’s unemployment rate stood at 4.3 percent this April, 3.9 percent in May (an eightyear low), 4.7 percent in June and 5.0 percent in July.

State numbers trended to 5.2 percent this April, 4.7 percent in May, 5.7 percent in June and 5.9 percent in July.

At the county level, the numbers were 4.7 percent this April, 4.3 percent in May, 5.2 percent in June and 5.5 percent in July.