Orange County’s 2.8% unemployment for September is lowest this century
Orange County ‘s employment winning streak grew to 98 months as local bosses added 9,600 workers in the 12 months ended in September while joblessness fell in a month to 2.8 percent.
Here are nine noteworthy Orange County job market trends for September that my trusty spreadsheet found in the state Employment Development Department’s monthly report: Looking at September’s seasonally unadjusted data compared with data from a year ago and the average of the previous five years …
1. Jobs: 1.63 million compared with 1.62 million a year ago — up 9,600 or 0.59 percent — vs. O.C.’s 1.53 million five-year average. It’s the largest job count this century for any September.
2. Job growth: That’s a 0.59 percent growth rate compared with 2.15 percent a year ago and 2.42 percent two years ago. Four-county Southern California growth in September? 1.37 percent.
3. Recovery: Orange County has had year-over-year job growth for 98 consecutive months dating to August 2010. In this post-recession rebound, 267,700 jobs were created, or a 2.26 percent annualized hiring pace.
4. Unemployment rate: 2.8 percent compared with 3.1 percent the previous month; 3.3 percent a year ago; and a 5.0 percent five-year average. And it’s the lowest jobless rate this century for any September.
5. Number of jobless: 45,600 compared with 53,300 a year ago — down 7,700 or 14.4 percent — vs. 79,513 over five years.
6. Goods-producing jobs: 260,600 compared with 264,200 a year ago — down 3,600 or 1.4 percent — vs. 247,278 over five years.
7. Service jobs: 1.37 million compared with 1.36 million a year ago — up 13,200 or 1.0 percent — vs. 1.28 million over five years. This is the biggest service staffing since 2000 for any September.
8. Government jobs: 155,600 compared with 156,200 a year ago — down 600 or 0.4 percent — vs. 154,772 over five years.
9. Comparable joblessness: For September, California’s rate was 3.9 percent; four-county Southern California, 4.3 percent; Los Angeles County, 4.8 percent; Inland Empire, 4.1 percent … and nationally, 3.6 percent.