County unemployment numbers follow state trend

The unemployment rate in Riverside County edged downlast month on the heels of marginal job growth, state officials reported today.

The county’s non-seasonally-adjusted jobless rate in May, based onpreliminary estimates, was 9.2 percent, compared to 9.6 percent in April,according to the California Employment Development Department.

The rate was 2.6 percentage points below the level of May 2012, whenunemployment stood at 11.8 percent.

The civilian labor force last month numbered 933,900 people, with 85,500out of work, according to EDD data.

The unincorporated community of Cabazon had the highest unemploymentrate countywide, at 23.6 percent, followed by Mecca at 18.7 percent andHomeland at 18.3 percent, according to the EDD.

The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino countiesin May was also 9.2 percent, down from 9.6 percent the prior month.

Bi-county data indicated payrolls expanded in five sectors of the regional economy. The largest increase was in trade, transportation andutilities, where around 1,000 positions were added. The public sector, farming,financial services and manufacturing altogether grew by another 2,500 jobs.

Payrolls dropped sharply in the professional and business servicessector, which shed 2,100 jobs, data showed. Losses were also recorded inleisure and hospitality, educational and health services, the constructionindustry and the telecommunications sector, all of which shrank by roughly1,400 jobs.

The state’s non-seasonally-adjusted jobless rate in Mayl was 8.1percent, according to the EDD.