Latest jobs report shows how unemployment rate rose in Kern County

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — New statistics from the California Employment Development Department show Kern County’s unemployment rose in July. The latest rate is 9.5% — almost one in every 10 people in the workforce is unemployed.

The unemployment rate in July 2023 was 8.5% in Kern County and the trend continued to rise, unemployment rose this July, to a whopping 9.5%.

The rise from last year puts Kern at fifth highest in California in the unemployment rankings, just behind Merced County, ranked at 9.6%. The county with the highest unemployment rate is Imperial County at 18.7%.

Kern’s County’s rate is much higher than the state’s overall rate of 5.8% and even higher than the national rate, which is at 4.5%.

One CSUB professor says that’s not unusual. The data is on track and normal.

The data shows that the government sector which teachers are factored in, lost 5,200 jobs from June to July, when their contracts end in the summer.

Richard Gearhart, professor of economics said he expects a decrease in unemployment from August to September with the school year starting.

“Historically Kern County’s unemployment rate hovers around 8%, 9% when we’re considered near or full employment, so it’s actually a pretty good rate for Kern County.”

Gearhart gave some insight to where the jobs are going.

“We did see a growth in about 1,000 jobs in trade, transportation, and warehousing,” Gearhart said. “That’s largely from those major construction projects down by the base of the Grapevine, up in Shafter, and I think that’s the new growth industry in Kern County.”

Kern’s major industries are farming, oil, and education which tend to be highly seasonal jobs, meaning the unemployment rate will continue to fluctuate.

If you want to look at other counties unemployment rates or what jobs are most impacted, click here.

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