San Diego County's unadjusted unemployment rate fell again to 2.7% in September, according to data released Friday by the California Economic Development Department.
Estimated non-farm employment in the San Diego-Carlsbad region rose by 4,600 jobs from 1,510,400 in August to 1,515,000 last month, due largely to government job gains. Farm jobs remained stagnant at 9,100 jobs across both months. The total unemployment rate fell from an adjusted 3.4% in August to 2.7% last month.
Government jobs increased by 7,000, boosted by local government job growth. The construction, manufacturing and education and health services industries showed more modest gains at fewer than 1,500 jobs each.
The other services industry, which the EDD defines as repair and maintenance jobs, personal and laundry services jobs and religious, grants, civic and professional organizations, also added roughly 600 jobs.
Jobs in the leisure and hospitality industry declined the most of any industry month-over-month, falling by 3,600. The information, financial activities and professional and business services industries also lost between 200 and 900 jobs each.
The county's unemployment rate fell compared to September of last year, when it sat at 3.1%. In that span, the county added 30,600 non-farm jobs, with most industries showing four-digit gains. Farm employment fell by 200 jobs, from 9,300 in September 2018 to 9,100 last month.
The construction, manufacturing, government, leisure and hospitality, educational and health services, professional and business services and other services industries all added at least 2,300 jobs since September 2018, with professional and business services adding the most at 7,700.
Only two industries — trade, transportation and utilities and financial activities — showed yearly job losses. Trade, transportation and utilities jobs fell by 1,800 year-over-year, while financial activities jobs fell by 800.
Statewide unemployment ticked down to a seasonally adjusted 4% in September.
Nationwide, unemployment fell to an unadjusted 3.5% in September, down from a revised 3.7% in August.
