High joblessness in Southern California

Southern California’s large metropolitan areas ranked among the worst in the nation when it came to joblessness in January 2021 compared to January 2020, according to research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released last week.

Of the 51 metropolitan areas in the nation with a population of 1 million or more people, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim region came in No. 1 in the nation for unemployment in January.

The 11.5% unemployment rate in the region reflects the significant toll of the pandemic and state and local lockdown policies.

By comparison, in January 2020, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim region had an unemployment rate of just 4.4%. The 7.1% increase happens to also be the highest in the country.

Not far behind, unfortunately, is the Inland Empire. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the RiversideSan Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area had an unemployment rate of 8.6% in January 2021 compared to

4.1% the year earlier. The Inland region ranked No. 6 in the nation among the large metropolitan areas for both its high unemployment rate and increase in unemployment.

Considering that many have simply dropped out of the labor force by now and aren’t being counted, the numbers are sure to look even worse.

As coronavirus cases continue to fall and vaccinations increase, it will by default become much easier for the economy to improve, for jobs to come back and for people to find opportunities to support themselves again.

Los Angeles and Orange counties are already on track to enter the less restrictive orange tier allowing further opening of businesses in the near future. The Inland Empire is likewise edging closer to the orange tier in the coming weeks.

These are all positive developments. But it’s important not to take reopenings for granted. Individuals must continue to take appropriate precautions.

It’s likewise important for elected officials at the state and local level to foster regulatory environments where businesses can open and where jobs can come back. They have to be willing to ease up on restrictions they’ve often become too accustomed to imposing.