LA unemployment rate steadies in May; IE sees jobless decrease

Unemployment in Los Angeles County remained at 5.3% in May, matching April’s identical rate, according to state Employment Development Department figures released Friday.

The seasonally adjusted 5.3% rate was higher than the 4.8% rate from May 2023.

May 2024 unemployment in Orange County, where seasonally adjusted percentages were not available, was 3.2%, down from April’s 3.7%.

Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment was 5.2% last month, down from 5.3% in April, but above the 4.5% rate in May of last year, according to the EDD. The nation’s unemployment rate was 4% in May, 3.9% in April and 3.7% in May 2023.

Nonfarm employment in LA County added 11,100 jobs between April and May to total almost 4.6 million.

The leisure and hospitality sector added 8,200 jobs, representing the largest gains.

IE jobless rate falls further

The unemployment rate in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area was 4.3% in May, down from a revised 4.8% in April, and higher than the year-ago estimate of 4.1%, according to the EDD’s figures released Friday.

The state’s unadjusted unemployment rate in May was 4.5% for California and 3.7 percent for the nation during the same period.

The jobless rate was 4.4% in Riverside County and 4.3% in San Bernardino County.

In Riverside County, Mecca had the highest unemployment rate countywide in May at 10.7%, followed by Coachella at 8.3%, Cherry Valley at 7.9%, Hemet at 6.3% and Rancho Mirage at 6.2%, City News Service reported.

Data combined from both counties showed that payrolls expanded by the widest margin in the agricultural sector, which added an estimated 1,600 jobs last month.

More gains posted in the construction, hospitality, public and warehousing sectors, which combined increased by 3,800 jobs, according to the EDD.

The financial services, information technology, manufacturing and professional business services sectors contracted last month, with a reduction of 900 positions. Miscellaneous unclassified industries also declined by roughly 200 jobs.

The educational services and mining sectors were unchanged.