March State and Local Employment Report
The Employment
Development Department (EDD) released the state and local employment reports
for the month of March. Total California nonfarm employment increased by 39,800
jobs over the month in seasonally adjusted (SA) terms. This followed a gain of
22,400 jobs (revised) in February.
The
year-over-year change showed an increase of 481,900 jobs (SA). This equated to
a growth rate of 3.1%, outpacing the March national increase of 2.3%.
California’s private sector added 450,600 jobs (an increase of 3.4%) over the
year, while employment in the public sector rose by 1.3% (31,300 jobs).
Ten of the 11
super-sectors added jobs over the year to March: construction; manufacturing;
trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities;
professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure
and hospitality; other services; and government for a gain of 482,800 jobs.
Professional and business services posted the largest gain on a numerical
basis, adding 123,900 jobs (up 5.2%), while construction posted the largest
gain in percentage terms, increasing by 6.9% or 46,300 jobs.
The only sector
to record a decline over the year was mining and logging, down 900 jobs, or
2.9%.
California’s unemployment
rate fell to 6.5% in March, down from 6.7% in February and down from the year
ago rate of 7.9%. The state’s civilian labor force was unchanged over the
month, but was up by 1.1% over the year. The labor force participation rate in
California was 62.3% in March versus the national rate of 62.7%.
County
highlights:
(Note: With the exception of the Los Angeles
unemployment rate, county level numbers are not seasonally adjusted, which
means there can be large month-to-month fluctuations in jobs counts. A truer
picture of how local labor markets are faring is revealed by focusing on the
year-over-year numbers. Annual trends “correct” for the seasonal factors that
influence certain industry sectors over the course of the year.)
§
In Los Angeles County, the
seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.6%, down from 7.8% in February and
below the year ago rate of 8.6%. Total nonfarm employment rose by 28,400 jobs
over the month and by 113,300 jobs over the year, an increase of 2.7%.
Educational
and health services reported the largest year-over-year rise in employment in
March with an increase of 31,000 jobs. Most of the increase was due to the
addition of 22,400 health care jobs, over two-thirds of which were concentrated
in social assistance. Educational and health services employment now stands at
776,400, an all time high.
Also
posting significant gains was the leisure and hospitality sector, where
payrolls expanded by 20,900 jobs. Employment in trade, transportation and
utilities was up by 21,200 jobs with retail trade driving the industry advance
by adding 10,200 jobs, the largest year-to-year surge since 2007.
Only
two industries reported year-over-year declines in March: manufacturing (down
by 1,700 jobs), and mining and logging (down by 100 jobs).
§
In March, the unemployment rate in
Orange County was 4.4%, down from 4.6% in February and below the year-ago
figure of 6.0%. Nonfarm payroll jobs increased by by 9,800 over the month and
were up by 55,200 over the year (an increase of 3.7%).
§
In the Riverside-San Bernardino
area, the unemployment rate in March was 6.5% compared with 6.8% in February and
the year ago rate of 8.9%. The region gained 4,700 nonfarm payroll jobs over
the month and 53,400 over the year. This represented an increase of 4.2% making
the Inland Empire one of the fastest growing regions in the state.
§
In Ventura County, the unemployment
rate was 5.4%, down from the year ago estimate of 7.1%. Last month, total
nonfarm employment increased by 1,600 jobs. Over the year ending in March, the
number of nonfarm jobs in Ventura County was up by 5,100 (up 1.7%).
The labor market
in California performed well in the first quarter of 2015 with a 3.1% increase
in jobs compared with the first quarter of last year. Industry job gains have
been broad-based and the unemployment rate in March was the lowest since March
2008. Additionally, more pronounced wage gains should be forthcoming as the
labor market continues to tighten.
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