Orange County’s unemployment rate increased to 4.1% in December from a revised 3.7% in December and above the 3.9% rate seen in January last year, according to the state’s Employment Development Department.
The state’s unemployment rate was 5.5% in January. The U.S.’s was 4.4%.
Nonfarm OC employment decreased by 30,400 jobs from December to January when 1.71 million were employed.
Ten of the 11 industry sectors saw job decreases.
Leading the job decrease was trade, transportation and utilities, down 8,200 jobs. About 6,300 of these jobs were in retail trade, which typically boosts hiring during the Christmas season.
Professional and business services had the second biggest decline, 7,000, followed by leisure and hospitality, off 4,800.
Data for January is typically released later than normal as the agency works with the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics to revise their numbers.
About 18.6 million worked in California in January, an increase of 17,600 from December.