Region’s unemployment rate up slightly in August
The unemployment rate in the tri-county region ticked up slightly in August to 3.2%, from 3% the month before, due to increases in both the size of the workforce and the number of people looking for work.
Ventura County’s unemployment rate in August was 3.5%, up from 3.2% in July and down from 6.2% in August 2021, according to data released Sept. 16 by the California Employment Development Department.
Santa Barbara County’s unemployment rate was 2.9% in August, up from 2.8% in the previous month and down from 5.4% a year earlier. And in San Luis Obispo County, the unemployment was 2.7% in August, up from 2.5% in July and 5.2% in August 2021.
California’s statewide unemployment rate was 4.1% in August, up from 3.9% in July and down from 7% in August 2021.
The state did add 19,900 nonfarm payroll jobs from July to August. The rising unemployment rate was due to more people out of work, but also more people looking for work, as the labor force grew by 32,400 people statewide.
The biggest jobs gains statewide were in the leisure and hospitality and sector, with 9,800 additional jobs since July, and the trade, transportation and utilities sector, with 6,000 new jobs. Professional and business services added 4,900 jobs, and education and health care added 4,100. The biggest job loss was in the information sector, with 3,800 fewer jobs statewide.
The Tri-Counties as a whole gained 4,000 nonfarm jobs from July to August, but lost 2,600 farm jobs. Employment in the agricultural industry tends to fluctuate seasonally, and unemployment rates at the state level are adjusted to account for that, while county-level data is unadjusted.
