Orange County’s unemployment rate rose to 3.0% in November from a revised 2.8% in October and below the 4.1% rate seen in November last year, according to the state’s Employment Development Department.
The state’s unemployment rate was 4.0% in November while the U.S.’s was 3.4%.
Nonfarm OC employment gained 5,600 jobs from October to November when 1.7 million were employed.
The county has surpassed the February 2020 pre-pandemic employment level of 1.68 million jobs. The OC economy added 73,100 jobs since November 2021.
Seven of the 11 industry sectors saw job increases.
Leading the job increase was the leisure and hospitality sector, which added 24,800 jobs, with the gains centered around accommodation and food services, up 17,800 jobs.
Educational and health services had the second largest gain, up 17,600, with most of that increase in health care and social assistance.
Three sectors had declines, led by government, off 3,200 jobs, and financial activities, down 1,600 jobs.
About 17.8 million worked in California in July, an increase of 26,800 nonfarm payroll jobs from October and up about 675,000 jobs from a year earlier.
Ten of the 11 industry sectors added jobs month-over-month, led by leisure and hospitality sector, up 13,900, thanks for amusement parks.
Trade, transportation and utilities was the only sector to post job loss, down 20,400.
People receiving unemployment benefits rose by 16,834 to 306,550.
