San Diego County Unemployment Rises to 4.7 Percent in January

A woman rides her bike past an Allied Forces Temporary Services Job Center in San Diego, Calif., in this undated picture. (Gisela Sommer/The Epoch Times)

SAN DIEGO—San Diego County’s unemployment rate increased to 4.7 percent in January, up from a revised 4.1 percent in December and below the year-ago estimate of 8.5 percent, according to figures released on March 11 by the state Employment Development Department (EDD).

This compares with an unadjusted unemployment rate of 5.5 percent for California, which increased from 5 percent in December. The nationwide figure was 4.4 percent, up from December’s 3.7 percent during the same time period.

Between December 2021 and January 2022, nonfarm employment decreased by 22,300, from 1,497,700 to 1,475,400. Agricultural employment shrunk by 200, from 8,000 to 7,800, according to EDD figures.

Employment in trade, transportation, and utilities was down 5,800, the most significant month-over job decrease. Each of the sub-categories posted job losses. Retail trade was down 2,700 while transportation, warehousing, and utilities lost 2,200 jobs. wholesale trade was down 900. The largest share of the over-the-month decline was in transportation and warehousing, which was down 2,300.

Professional and business services decreased by 5,700 jobs. Professional, scientific, and technical services employment was down 3,700, which accounted for around 65 percent of the job reduction.

According to the EDD, seven other industries reported job losses, including leisure and hospitality with a loss of 3,000; educational and health services, 2,500; construction, 1,700; government, 1,700; financial activities, 800; other services, 700; and information, 500.

Employment remained unchanged in mining and logging and the manufacturing sector recorded an employment gain of 100.

In year-over-year numbers, nonfarm employment increased by 123,300, a gain of 9.1 percent. Agricultural employment contracted by 100.

The largest gainer was leisure and hospitality, with 66,900 jobs added to payrolls between January 2021 and January 2022. Of those, 54,400 were in accommodation and food services.

Professional and business services gained 19,900 over the year, along with 12,500 in other services, 9,200 in government, 7,100 in trade, transportation, and utilities, 3,800 in educational and health services, 3,300 in manufacturing, 900 in construction, and 500 in information.