RIVERSIDE – Despite losses in a few sectors of the regional economy, Riverside County’s unemployment remained below 4% last month, according to figures released today by the California Employment Development Department.
The jobless rate in May, based on preliminary EDD estimates, was 3.4%, compared to 3.8% in April.
According to figures, the May rate was over four percentage points lower than the year-ago level, when countywide unemployment stood at 7.5%, as
the statewide coronavirus public health lockdowns were gradually eased.
An estimated 38,500 county residents were recorded as out of work in May, and 1,110,100 were employed, according to EDD.
Coachella had the highest unemployment rate countywide last month at 7.7%, followed by Cherry Valley at 6.3%, Mecca at 5.4%, Hemet and Rancho Mirage
both at 5.1%, and Perris at 4.6%.
The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties in May was also 3.4%, and also down from 3.8% in April, according to figures.
Bi-county data indicated that payrolls expanded by the widest margin in the leisure and hospitality industry, which added 2,700 positions in May.
Additional gains were documented in the agricultural, health services, information technology, government and manufacturing sectors, which altogether swelled by 4,500 jobs in May, according to EDD.
The agency said that another 400 positions were added in miscellaneous unclassified industries, while the mining sector was unchanged.
Payrolls sank the largest in the trade and transportation sector, which shed 1,200 positions.
Payrolls also shrank in construction, financial services and business and professional business services, which lost a total 2,300 jobs.
Data showed that the statewide non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in May was, like the Inland Empire, 3.4%.
