North Bay Business Journal

Napa jobless rate in September fourth lowest in state

The latest statistics from the California Employment Development Department show that Napa County has added 1,400 net jobs since September of last year.

Unemployment rates drop slightly in September

Unemployment rates across the North Bay edged downward in September, as the school year and harvest season spurred job growth in some counties while professional services grew in others, according to the state Employment Development Department.

Some improvement in unemployment

NORTH BAY — Unemployment rates across the North Bay dropped in August, as the start of the school year spurred hiring by the government sector and professional services in some counties enjoyed a rebound in hiring, according to figures releases this morning from the Employment Development Department. However, job gains that had been posted through much of the year stalled during the month.

Private job gains, public cuts keep North Bay unemployment unchanged in July

NORTH BAY — High unemployment rates across the North Bay in July either were virtually the same as in June or a year before or barely edged upward, as private-sector job gains were offset by fewer government jobs, according to state figures released this morning.

Surprise: Some jobs are proving difficult to fill

NORTH BAY – Despite a persistently high unemployment rate on both a national and local level, many employers are having a difficult time finding top-tier talent and filling an increasing amount of positions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

North Bay job picture in June mixed

NORTH BAY — Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties had a total of 2,630 more jobs in June than a year before, but that was offset by 3,200 fewer jobs in Solano and Napa counties over that 12-month period, according to state figures released this morning. Unemployment rates in Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties in June increased from revised May figures as the summer construction season picked up and schools let out. While the year-over-year North Bay and statewide jobless rates were largely unchanged in June, Sonoma County’s four-10ths of a point decrease bested the nation’s three-10ths of a point drop.

Unemployment rates drop across North Bay in April

NORTH BAY — Unemployment rates in April dropped all across the North Bay, led by a significant uptick in leisure and hospitality hiring, while Sonoma County continued to post yearly increases in jobs, according to figures released this morning by the state Employment Development Department.

North Bay unemployment rates edge up in March

NORTH BAY — Unemployment rates across the North Bay either remained flat at high levels or inched upward in March, but Sonoma County continued a four-month stretch of substantial year-over-year job growth, reaching 5,000 net new jobs last month, according to state estimates released today.

Sonoma County job growth best in four years; improvement in rest of North Bay

NORTH BAY — Unemployment rates across the North Bay in February mostly improved from the month and year before, according to figures released today from the Economic Development Department.

Sonoma County jobless rate rises to 10.5 percent, other North Bay counties see uptick

NORTH BAY — While the nation’s jobless rate dropped below 9 percent to 8.9, unemployment edged upward in much of the region in January, with Sonoma County seeing an increase of half a percentage point. Mendocino, Lake and Solano counties all saw increases, while Napa and Marin remained the same, according to state figures released this morning from the Employment Development Department.

With jobs picture improving, now is time to market North Bay

The chart in a recent post tells the North Bay jobs story, tracking the percent change year-over-year employment in Sonoma County since January 2001. The most encouraging news is that for the first time since January 2008, Sonoma County had more jobs in December than the previous year.

Could sustained job growth be returning to Sonoma County?

Hiring among employers in Sonoma County starting in mid-2009 turned a rapid two-year erosion in employment into even faster improvement, according to the latest state figures. The result was annual job growth of 0.7 percent, or 1,200 net new jobs, in December 2010. It doesn’t seem like much, but it was the first positive year-over-year growth in three years.

Sonoma County has first annual net increase in jobs in three years

Sonoma County in December eked out its first annual net increase in jobs in three years, easing its jobless rate by three-10ths of a point to 10 percent, according to state employment figures released today. For the other North Bay counties as well as the state and nation, December unemployment rates remained high but largely unchanged from both November and 12 months before.

Economist: California unemployment to stay above 10 percent through 2012

San Rafael- and Los Angeles-based Beacon Economics forecasts California’s unemployment rate will remain above 12 percent through the first half of 2011 and won’t dip below 10 percent before the end of 2012.

North Bay jobless rates rise in November

NORTH BAY — Unemployment rates in North Bay counties rose 50 to 130 basis points in November from a year before, but the jobless rates in Marin and Sonoma counties remained unchanged at high levels, according to state figures released this morning.

Unemployment rates virtually unchanged in October

NORTH BAY — Unemployment rates throughout the North Bay remained at high levels in October and were virtually unchanged from a year ago, except for improvement in Sonoma County and worsening in Lake County, according to state figures released today.

Unemployment rates barely budge in September

NORTH BAY — The joblessness rate in September across the North Bay remain stuck above a year ago and were little changed from August.

Unemployment drops in North Bay

NORTH BAY — The August unemployment rate dropped slightly in all but one North Bay county, according to data released by the Employment Development Department today, while the state and national rates edged slightly downward as well.

Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake and Solano counties all saw slight decreases in unemployment while Napa remained flat.

Unemployment rates continue to rise

NORTH BAY — Unemployment rates in the North Bay ticked slightly upward this month, according to statistics released by the Employment Development Department today.

Education jobs throughout the state were scaled back over the summer, and temporary U.S. Census jobs were eliminated in the government sector.

Commentary: Jobs and prosperity

What do voting, jobs and prosperity have in common? It turns out a lot. And as we try to cut the 10.4 percent unemployment that is persisting in Sonoma County, we all can benefit from knowing what those connections are.