Orange County’s unemployment rate inched up to 3.8% in November from a revised 3.7% in October and above the 3.0% rate seen in November last year, according to the state’s Employment Development Department.
The state’s unemployment rate was 4.9% in November while the U.S.’s was 3.5%.
Nonfarm OC employment gained 1,000 jobs from October to November when 1.74 million were employed.
The county has surpassed the February 2020 pre-pandemic employment level of 1.68 million jobs.
Six of the 11 industry sectors saw job increases.
Leading the job increase was the trade, transportation and utilities sector, which added 4,400 jobs, led by the retail sector. Three other sectors reporting increases included construction, up 1,600, private education and health services, up 900, government, up 800.
Professional and business services lost the most jobs, 3,800. Other sectors with job declines included leisure and hospitality, down 1,600, manufacturing, 900, and financial activities, off 400.
About 18.2 million worked in California in November, an increase of 9,300 nonfarm payroll jobs from October and up about 268,600 jobs from a year earlier.
Six of the 11 industry sectors added jobs month-over-month, led by private education and health services, 10,500.
The professional and business services sector saw the biggest decline, 11,100 jobs.
People receiving unemployment benefits fell by 32,693 to 323,975.
