Orange County’s unemployment rate rose to 3.7% in June from a revised 3.2% in May and above the 3.2% rate seen in June last year, according to the state’s Employment Development Department.
The state’s unemployment rate was 4.9% in June while the U.S.’s was 3.8%.
Nonfarm OC employment decreased by 2,000 jobs from May to June when 1.72 million were employed. The county is still above the February 2020 pre-pandemic employment level of 1.68 million jobs.
Five of the 11 industry sectors saw job decreases, led by the government, down 2,300 jobs, mostly in the local government as schools closed for the summer.
Other decreases were in professional and business services, down 1,200 jobs, and private education and health services, off 1,100 jobs.
Leading the job increase was construction, which was up 1,600 jobs, particularly in speciality trade contractors subsector.
About 18.1 million worked in California in June, an increase of 11,600 nonfarm payroll jobs from May and up about 397,400 jobs from a year earlier.
Six of the 11 state industry sectors added jobs month-over-month, led by private education and health services, up 7,000.
Trade, transportation and utilities posted the biggest decline, 7,600, led by merchant wholesalers.
People receiving unemployment benefits fell by 6,163 to 384,841.
