This story was updated at 4:21 p.m. Friday to include additional comments and details.
The unemployment rate in San Diego County was 4.7 percent last month, down from 5 percent the month before and a notch below the 4.8 percent recorded in September 2015, the state Employment Development Department reported Friday.
The local figure compares to 5.3 percent for California and 4.8 percent nationwide. Neither the state nor U.S. rates are seasonally adjusted.
“You would think the election would be impacting the employment numbers, but no,” said Phil Blair of Manpower Staffing. “This is not a temporary spike due to election jobs such as poll workers and campaign staff. These are permanent government jobs.”
He said he expects a holiday season “hiring spike” in the coming month.
Between August and September, seasonal gains were seen in the local government education sector, up 4,800 jobs; healthcare and social assistance, 2,900 more jobs; and administrative and support services, 1,300 additional positions, according to the EDD.
Seasonal losses occurred in leisure and hospitality, with the loss of 2,200 jobs.
Over the past year, the sectors to add the most positions were health care and social assistance, up 7,500 jobs; food services and drinking places, up 5,800; and administrative and support services, up 4,200, the agency reported. The construction industry lost 700 positions and manufacturing shed 200 jobs.
The EDD said 75,500 San Diegans were jobless last month, the same number as September of last year, out of a civilian labor force of nearly 1.6 million.
However, 37,100 more residents were employed in San Diego compared to the same month in 2015, while the civilian labor force grew by the same number.
“Not only has our unemployment rate dropped from the previous month, San Diego had the most number of people participate in the labor force this September than any other year during the same period,” said Tina Ngo Bartel, director of business programs and research for the San Diego Workforce Partnership.
She said the civilian labor force was 1.56 million in September last year and 1.55 million in the same month in 2014.
—City News Service
