Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Economy

San Diego County Unemployment Rate Drops To 4.6%

The September unemployment rate in San Diego County was 4.6 percent, the lowest mark since June 2007, the state Employment Development Department reported Friday.

The figure was lower than the revised 5.1 percent in August, and below the 6.1 percent level in September of last year, according to the EDD.

The agency reported that California's unemployment rate in September was 5.5 percent, while it was 4.9 percent for the nation as a whole. Neither the state or national figures are seasonally adjusted.

Advertisement

"The September employment report was even better than expected, as the regional economy looks to be picking up speed toward the end of 2015," said Phil Blair, CEO of the staffing firm Manpower San Diego. "We saw a disappointing national jobs report released earlier this month, but it was just the opposite in San Diego, with outstanding job growth driven by our construction, manufacturing, and technology sectors."

San Diego County's economy added 46,900 nonfarm jobs over the past year, with the biggest gain in the professional, scientific and technical sector, which increased by 9,600 positions. Accommodations and food services increased by around 8,000 jobs.

Just between August and September, the government education sector added 4,600 positions as the school year got underway. Other increases were seen in heath care and construction.

Those gains were offset by losses at hotels, and the amusement, gambling and recreation category. Monthly job losses were also seen throughout several sub-categories of the financial sector and also in the retail trade.

About 72,300 San Diegans were unemployed in September out of a civilian labor force of more than 1.5 million people, according to the EDD.