County unemployment rate dips to 6% in November

Down 4,700 jobs compared to November 2019

Humboldt County’s unemployment rate dropped a half percentage to 6% in November, according to preliminary figures provided by the state Employment Development Department.

The November rate is the lowest the county’s unemployment rate has been since local measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic took effect in March, which had an unemployment rate of 5%.

“We went from one month having in the neighborhood of the lowest recorded unemployment rate ever in (Humboldt County) up into a double- digit rate within the space of like four weeks,” said EDD labor market consultant Randy Weaver.

Humboldt County’s labor force totaled 61,300, dropping by 1,100 in November after having grown by 2,000 between September and October.

There were 3,600 unemployed members of the county’s workforce in November, 400 fewer than October.

“Looking at November 2020 compared to November of last year, we’re still down 4,700 jobs,” Weaver said. “We’ve got a long way to go until we come back to recovery.”

The county’s major job gains in November came in the state and local government sector, which added 300 jobs in November to reach 12,900. All 300 jobs came from the local government sector.

Looking at November 2019, Weaver said Humboldt County experienced record-low unemployment and significant unemployment growth.

“It was more of a jobseekers’ market because employers were having trouble filling positions where they needed skilled candidates,” Weaver said. “Now, it’s changed a lot due to the impact of the pandemic.”

The hardest-hit areas in the private sector were leisure and hospitality, such as restaurants and bars.

“They were hit the hardest by the restrictions,” Weaver said. “I think there tends to be more lowerwage jobs connected to those industries, whereas in healthcare there was a small decline but it’s already bounced back.”

Employment in educational and health services is the exact same as November 2019, reaching 9,100.

Statewide, November’s unemployment rate fell to 7.9%, down from 8.7% in October and marking the sixth consecutive month of falling unemployment rates in the state.

Even as counties across California impose additional pandemic restrictions, Weaver said it’s unlikely unemployment will skyrocket like it did in March.

“Everybody was caught off guard in March. Now, businesses knew the restrictions were coming and many of them have already adjusted their operating models. So, I just don’t foresee it being quite as dramatic in terms of employment losses,” Weaver said.

Nationally, November’s unemployment rate was 6.4%