Orange County’s solid employment picture brightened further in February, with the unemployment rate sinking versus a year ago, according to a state report Friday.
The unemployment rate was 4.1% in February, down from 4.6% last year, according to a report from the state Employment Development Department. The rate was in line with January’s revised figure.
California’s unemployment rate was 6.1% in February, with the U.S. rate pegged at 5.8%.
OC has 27,100 new jobs compared to a year ago. Overall, the county’s total nonfarm payroll was up 1.9% to 1,463,000 workers.
Employment gains were led by the professional and business services sector, which added 11,400 jobs compared to a year earlier. The sector includes temp agency workers.
Other sectors gaining were financial, construction and trade.
The information sector was the sole decliner, losing 900 jobs in the past year. Losses were concentrated in telecommunications resellers, the state employment department said.
