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Tuesday, Feb 17, 2026
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OC Unemployment Falls to 4.6% in August

Nonfarm jobs count flat from July

Orange County’s unemployment rate fell to 4.6% in August from a revised 4.8% in July and above the 4.5% in August last year, according to the state’s Employment Development Department.

The state’s unemployment rate was 5.8% while the U.S.’s was 4.5%.

Nonfarm OC employment was flat at 1.69 million jobs.

Government declined the most, 1,700 jobs, mostly in the state government, which fell 2,000, followed by federal government, off 200. Local governments added 500 jobs.

Six other sectors reported declines, led by construction, 700 jobs.

Only three of the 11 industry sectors saw job increases.

Private education and health services added 2,100 jobs, mostly in health care and social assistance.

The state added 3,800 jobs for a total of 18 million; it’s up about 69,500 jobs from a year earlier.

Only six of the 11 industry sectors added jobs month-over-month, led by private education and health services, up 9,800. The biggest decline was government, off 7,600.

People receiving unemployment benefits fell by 19,286 to 367,379.

 

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Peter J. Brennan
Peter J. Brennan
With four decades of experience in journalism, Peter J. Brennan has built a career that spans diverse news topics and global coverage. From reporting on wars, narcotics trafficking, and natural disasters to analyzing business and financial markets, Peter’s work reflects a commitment to impactful storytelling. Peter’s association with the Orange County Business Journal began in 1997, where he worked until 2000 before moving to Bloomberg News. During his 15 years at Bloomberg, his reporting often influenced financial markets, with headlines and articles moving the market caps of major companies by hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2017, Peter returned to the Orange County Business Journal as Financial Editor, bringing his heavy business industry expertise. Over the years, he advanced to Executive Editor and, in 2024, was named Editor-in-Chief. Peter’s work has been featured in prestigious publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, and he has appeared on CNN, CBC, BBC, and Bloomberg TV. A Kiplinger Fellowship recipient at The Ohio State University, he leads the Business Journal with a dedication to uncovering stories that matter and shaping the local business community and beyond.
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