Orange County’s unemployment rate rose to 3.0% in August from a revised 2.8% in July and below the 6.0% rate seen in August last year, according to the state’s Employment Development Department.
The state’s unemployment rate was 4.1% in August while the U.S.’s was 3.8%.
Nonfarm OC employment fell 4,700 jobs from July to August when 1.66 million were employed.
The county remains below the February 2020 pre-pandemic employment level of 1.68 million jobs. The OC economy added 57,900 jobs since August 2021.
Six of the 11 industry sectors saw job declines.
The largest decline was 4,300 in government as schools continue to shed jobs during the summer recess.
For the first time after six straight months of increases, the leisure and hospitality sector fell 1,400 jobs.
Educational and health services increased the most, adding 2,500 jobs, mostly in healthcare and social assistance.
About 17.6 million worked in California in July, an increase of 19,900 nonfarm payroll jobs from July and up about 677,000 jobs from a year earlier.
The state has now recovered 98% of the 2.76 million jobs lost in March and April of 2020 due to the pandemic.
Seven of the 11 industry sectors added jobs month-over-month, led by leisure and hospitality sector, up 9,800 jobs. The largest decline was 3,800 jobs in information sector.
People receiving unemployment benefits fell by 6,051 to 310,212, down from 316,263 in July.
