Riverside County Job Gains Could Spell State Relief

Economists say California’s economy should improve with its nearly 11 percent unemployment rate falling to 7.7 percent in less than two years.

But UCLA’s quarterly Anderson Forecast says some areas won’t return to pre-recession levels for four years.

Los Angeles, with an unemployment rate of 11.8 percent, is a weak spot. Its labor market isn’t expected to fully recover until 2016 because of city budget problems, the housing crisis and a high number of uneducated residents.

California’s 10.9 percent jobless rate is expected to fall to 7.7 percent by the end of 2014.

The Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/Hf9lJ8) says San Francisco Bay Area growth, led by technology, continues to outpace the nation.

There are also job gains in hard-hit areas, including the San Joaquin Valley and Riverside-San Bernardino counties.