By Staff Report Sunday, August 25th, 2024

For the second straight month, the unemployment rate along the Central Coast has seen a pretty sharp jump, this time from June to July, according to the latest data provided by the California Employment Development Department.

Released Aug. 16, the unemployment rate of the tri-counties was at 4.56% in July, up from an unemployment rate of 4.23% in June and up dramatically from an unemployment rate of 3.33% in May.

All three counties on the Central Coast saw their respective unemployment rates increase with no single county having an unemployment rate below 4%.

Ventura County had the highest unemployment rate in July jumping from 4.5% in June to 5% this month.

Trailing them was Santa Barbara County, which saw its unemployment rate jump from 4.2% in June to 4.5% in July.

San Luis Obispo had the lowest unemployment rate along the Central Coast but it was still pretty high, sitting at 4.2% in July.

In terms of job growth, the Central Coast went backward, with a net loss of 5,700 jobs in the month of July, down substantially from a net gain of at least 300 jobs in the previous money.

Ventura County had a net loss of 3,000 jobs with the government sector in the county cutting 3,400 jobs.

Santa Barbara County had a net loss of 1,600 jobs, but similarly cut 2,100 county government jobs while San Luis Obispo had a net loss of 1,100 jobs, which includes 1,500 government job losses.

As for the state, California’s unemployment rate stayed at 5.2% in the month of July.

California’s employers added 21,100 nonfarm payroll jobs in July.

Four of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs in July with the largest increase in the government sector adding 19,200 jobs.

The private education and health services sector added 12,300 jobs while the leisure & hospitality sector added 1,800 jobs.

Source: California Employment Development Department 

4.56% – The unemployment rate along the Central Coast in July

-5,700 – Net loss of non-farming jobs along the Central Coast in July

5.2% – The unemployment rate for California in July