Orange County’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.5% in May, the state Employment Development Department said Friday.
The May rate is the same from April, but up from the 3.2% rate seen in May 2006.
Employers here added 6,900 jobs last month to 1,532,400, jobs, an increase of 0.8%.
Construction, leisure and hospitality and the government sectors all added jobs last month.
Only the financial activities industry posted a decline, with about 200 jobs cut in May. The sector saw a gain of 100 jobs in real estate and rental and leasing. That was offset by a loss of 300 jobs in the credit intermediation sector.
California’s unemployment rate was 4.9% in May, slightly down from 5% in April.
