Job gains in the government, professional services, and education and health sectors sent the county unemployment rate in February below 9% for the second time in three months.
The county gained 8,800 jobs in February from January, pushing the unemployment rate to 8.9%, down from 9.2% in January and 9.7% a year ago, according to the state Employment Development Department.
The county’s employment rose to 1.35 million nonfarm workers.
The job gains reverse some of the heavy losses in January as temporary workers were let go following the hiring push before and during the holiday shopping season.
The county lost 21,300 jobs in January.
The government sector reported the largest monthly gain, adding 3,900 jobs overall, reversing the 3,600 positions lost in January.
Local government education accounted for 85% of the jobs, which was expected due to teacher rehiring after the semester break.
Professional and business services grew by 2,500 jobs. More than 75% of the growth was in administrative and support services, including temporary staffing firms. Staffing agencies have told the Business Journal employers are looking for more workers and the length of works assignments has increased substantially this quarter.
Educational and health services also added 2,500 jobs. Nearly 72% of the gain was in educational services, up 1,800 jobs, led by advances in colleges, universities and professional schools.
The trade, transportation and utilities industries reported the largest monthly decline, losing 1,300 jobs.
This is the second straight month that sector led job losses as January saw an exodus of 7,700 jobs.
Wholesale trade added 200 jobs but that was offset by 1,500 jobs lost in retail trade.
These positions were largely concentrated in general merchandise stores, down 800 jobs, clothing and accessory stores, down 600 jobs, and health and personal care stores, down 300 jobs.
Some of these losses could be attributed to shedding jobs added during the holiday hiring push.
Employers here in February added 16,300 jobs from a year earlier, about a 1.2% gain. That marked the seventh month of consecutive yearly gains.
Leisure and hospitality posted the largest yearly growth, adding 6,500 jobs. Hotels, restaurants and bars accounted for most of the gains, indicating that consumer spending continues to improve.
Professional and business services added 5,400 jobs compared to a year ago. Professional, scientific, and technical services reported the largest increase, adding 3,100 jobs.
A majority of the growth, 54%, was in administrative and support services, led by employment services, up 5,600 jobs.
Trade, transportation and utilities reported the largest yearly decline, losing 2,000 jobs.
Retail trade shed 2,600 jobs, more than offsetting gains in wholesale trade, up 400 jobs, and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, up 200 jobs.
This is the second straight month that trade, transportation and utilities led the yearly decline, supplanting the construction industry, which suffered the most yearly job losses throughout much of the recovery.
That could indicate some stabilization in the construction industry.
