Vital signs: Central Coast adds tourism jobs in July as summer season peaks
The unemployment rate along the Central Coast took a slight dip from June to July, as the unemployment rate of 3.8% fell to 3.7%, according to the data released on Aug. 18 from the California Employment Development Department.
However, across the tri-counties 3,100 total nonfarming jobs were lost and, when factoring in farming jobs, 6,000 jobs were lost from June to July.
Ventura County had the highest unemployment rate at 4.2% in July, staying the same as its June unemployment rate and also higher than its 3.6% unemployment rate in July 2022.
San Luis Obispo’s unemployment rate remained the lowest in the tri-counties, sitting at 3.3% for the month of July compared to 3.5% in the month of June.
Santa Barbara County had the second-highest unemployment rate at 3.6% in July, down from a 3.8% unemployment rate in June.
The biggest reason for a net loss of jobs across the Central Coast was a loss of 7,100 government jobs from June to July, with the majority of those, 3,800, coming in Ventura County alone.
But other industries saw growth, as Leisure and Hospitality added a combined 2,400 jobs, 1,500 of which were in Ventura County. Trade, Transportation, and Utilities also added a combined 700 jobs.
California’s unemployment rate remained at 4.6% in the month of July, as the state added 27,900 nonfarm payroll jobs.
Gains in Leisure & Hospitality, adding 10,300 jobs, mostly came from Restaurants and Other Eating Places. In reaching over 2 million jobs as of July, this industry sector, the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, has fully recovered from its April 2020 low of 1.06 million jobs, the organization said.
Seven of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs in July with Government showing the largest increase adding 15,000 jobs thanks to above-average gains in Federal Government and Local Government Excluding Education.
Source: California Employment Development Department
3.7% – unemployment rate across the tri-counties in July, down from 3.8%
2,400 – Leisure & Hospitality jobs added across the tri-counties in July
4.2% – the unemployment rate in Ventura County, the highest of the tri-counties
