North Bay job growth steady at 2.5% with 15,000 more jobs
The North Bay has added around 15,000 jobs in the past year, but job growth in the six-county region continues to hover around 2.5 percent as the number of people actively seeking jobs remains at very low levels, based on new state figures released Friday.
Sonoma County, with the largest population for the area, added the bulk of the jobs - about 4,000 - followed by 3,700 in Marin, 3,100 in Solano, 2,400 in Napa and roughly 500 each in Mendocino and Lake counties, according to Employment Development Department figures for October. Industries leading the growth continue to be leisure and hospitality, educational and health services, and professional and business services.
While Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties experienced slight increases in joblessness, unemployment in Solano, Napa and Marin remained unchanged. The unemployment rate in Sonoma has been around 4 percent since September 2015 and has come in below 5 percent since March 2015. The rate in Marin has been at or below 4 percent since September 2014. In Napa, with the exception of November and December 2015, the rate has been below 5 percent since March 2015.
The October unadjusted unemployment rate was 5.3 percent for California and 4.7 percent for the nation.
SONOMA COUNTY
The unemployment rate in Sonoma County was 3.9 percent last month, up from a revised 3.8 percent in September. The estimated rate the previous October was 4.2 percent. The county came in sixth for the lowest jobless rate in the state, preceded by Napa and Santa Clara in fourth place, San Francisco in third, Marin still in second and San Mateo at No. 1.
The number of Sonoma County nonfarm jobs was 203,800, up 2 percent. Farming employment for the month was down 600 for the year, off 9.1 percent.
Leading job-adding industries over the year were professional and business services, up 2,200, or 10.2 percent, to 23,700; retail-heavy trade, transportation and utilities, up 1,000, or 2.8 percent, to 36,800; and government, up 1,000, or 3.1 percent, to 33,400.
Job-losing sectors over the year were leisure and hospitality, down 500, to 24,800, and educational and health services down 400, to 32,200.
SOLANO COUNTY
The unemployment rate in the Solano County was 5.3 percent in October, unchanged from a revised 5.3 percent in September and below the year-ago estimate of 5.7 percent.
Nonfarm jobs were 138,000, up 2.3 percent for the year. Farming jobs slipped 200 for the year to 1,800, off 10 percent.
Job-gaining industries over 12 months were educational and health services, up 900 jobs, or 3.5 percent, to 26,500; trade, transportation and utilities, up 600, or 2.2 percent, to 28,200; construction, up 500 jobs, or 5.2 percent, to 10,400; and manufacturing, up 2.5 percent, or 300 jobs, to 12,400.
The only job-losing industry for the year was farming.
MARIN COUNTY
The unemployment rate in the Marin was 3.3 percent last month, unchanged from a revised 3.3 percent in September and below the year-ago estimate of 3.4 percent.
Total nonfarm jobs for the year increased by 3,900, or 3.4 percent, to 118,600. Farm jobs again remained unchanged at 400.
Job-gaining industries over 12 months were education and health services, up 1,200, or 5.9 percent, to 21,700; trade, transportation and utilities, up 1,100, or 5.9 percent, to 19,800; manufacturing, up 600, or 14.3 percent, to 4,800; professional and business services, up 500, or 2.6 percent to 19,600; and leisure and hospitality, up 400, or 2.6 percent, to 15,900.
The only job-losing sectors for the year was government, down 400, to 15,400.
NAPA COUNTY
The unemployment rate in the Napa County was 3.8 percent in October, unchanged from a revised 3.8 percent in September but under the year-ago estimate of 4.3 percent.
Nonfarm jobs totaled 75,900, up 3.4 percent for the year. Total farm jobs were 5,800, up 100, or 1.8 percent, for the year.
Job-gaining industries over 12 months were leisure and hospitality, up 1,100, or 8.3 percent, to 14,400; government, up 200, or 1.9 percent, to 10,600 jobs; mining, logging and construction, up 200, or 4.5 percent, to 4,600 jobs; education and health services, up 200, to 9,700, or 2.1 percent; and manufacturing, which includes winemaking, up 600, or 4.6 percent, to 13,700.
The only job losing sector was information, down 100, to 400.
MENDOCINO COUNTY
Mendocino’s preliminary October unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, up from the revised September rate of 4.6 percent but down 0.4 percentage points from the October 2015 rate of 5.2 percent. With the rate rise in October, Mendocino fell from 13th place to 15th among the 58 counties statewide.
Six industry sectors gained jobs for the year, two remained unchanged and four contracted. Total farm jobs were down 60 over 12 months, to 1,810, off 3.2 percent. Total nonfarm jobs rose 460 for the year to 31,340, up 1.5 percent.
One of the largest gains in employment for the year was service providing, up 340, or 1.3 percent, to 27,190; trade, transportation and utilities, up 130 jobs, or 2.2 percent to 6,160; leisure and hospitality, gaining 130 jobs, or 3 percent, to 4,430; and education and health services, up 110, or 2 percent, to 5,680.
Job-losing industries over the year were professional and business services, down 40, to 1,590; and information, down 10, to 250.
LAKE COUNTY
The unemployment rate in Lake County was 6.4 percent in October, up from a revised 6.0 percent in September and below the year-ago estimate of 7.3 percent. The county’s rate ranked three places lower last month, slipping to 38th in the state.
Total farm jobs were down 70 over 12 months to 950, off by 6.9 percent. Total nonfarm jobs were up 560 for the year to 15,440, a gain of 3.8 percent.
One of the largest gains in employment for the year was service-providing, adding 410 jobs, to 14,520, at 2.9 percent. Also gaining for the year were education and health services, up 130, or 2.9 percent, to 4,640, and trade, transportation and utilities, up 140, or 5 percent, to 2,960.
The only job-losing industry over the year was other services, down 10, to 510.
