Riverside County's Unemployment Rate Up, Even As California Adds Jobs
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com/AP) — California is adding jobs across the state, but Riverside County bucked the trend as its unemployment rate moved up to 5.7 percent in January.
The state's unemployment rate decreased to 5.1 percent in January, down from 5.2 percent in December and 5.7 percent the year before. The state's employers added 9,700 nonfarm payroll jobs during the month, according to the Employment Development Department.
The jobs picture in Los Angeles County also improved, going down to 4.9 percent in January, down from a revised 5.1 percent from the month before, and 5.6 percent from the previous year.
But inland, the jobless rate ticked up four-tenths of a percentage point higher than in December, when unemployment was at 5.3 percent. Still, it's an improvement over last year, when Riverside County's unemployment rate was at 5.9 percent.
The data is subject to revision and often fluctuates slightly by the time it's finalized.
The unincorporated community of Mecca had the highest unemployment rate countywide at 15 percent, followed by Cabazon at 11.5 percent and the March Air Reserve Base census-designated community at 11.4 percent.
The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties in January was 5.6 percent, up from 5.1 percent the prior month, officials said.
Bi-county data indicated payrolls dropped steeply in retail and wholesale trade, which shed 16,500 positions at the start of the year, as businesses cut back at the conclusion of the holidays.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)