THE WEEK THAT WAS...

22,900 jobs added in state

California employers added 22,900 jobs last month, barely half the number of jobs added in May. But analysts said that the variation was normal and that the latest numbers still showed solid growth. In addition, the unemployment rate fell a tick in June to 6.3% from 6.4% in May, according to the California Employment Development Department. Nationwide, joblessness fell to 5.3%.

Home sales surge 18%

The Southern California housing market is humming. Home sales in June posted a sizable 18.1% pop from a year earlier, and median prices continued to climb, rising 5.7% to $442,000, according to a report from information services firm CoreLogic. The dramatic sales increase, the largest in nearly three years, comes as families race to purchase homes before rates rise further.

Uber and Lyft OKd at LAX

Los Angeles airport officials agreed to permit ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft to begin picking up passengers at LAX. The decision made Los Angeles International Airport the largest in the nation to welcome the fast-growing, mobile app-based services. The firms could operate at LAX by late August, subject to approvals by airport officials and the city attorney.

Region’s gas prices climb

Gas prices hit more than $5 a gallon for unleaded at some Los Angeles area stations as a shortage in refined petroleum pushed the average price in the area above $4 last week, said the Automobile Club of Southern California. Prices eased a few cents Friday. Meantime, Exxon Mobil’s Torrance plant, idled by a fire in February, may not return to production until the end of the year.