Orange County’s unemployment rate ticked up in January, as an annual revision of data showed 28,000 fewer jobs compared with a month earlier.
OC was home to 1,398,600 jobs in January, according to the state Employment Development Department.
That’s about 2% more than a year earlier.
The local jobless rate rose to 7.1% in January on the revised data, up from 6.8% in December, and down from 8.1% a year prior.
OC’s trade, transportation and utilities sector reported the largest decline in January, with 6,600 fewer jobs from the prior month. More than 80% of the decrease came in retail trade, reflecting a seasonal cutback after the holiday shopping season.
The sector now has 247,400 jobs, about flat from a year ago, and makes up nearly 18% of the total OC work force.
Leisure and hospitality showed 5,700 fewer jobs in January. The sector counts 176,800 workers, up 2% from a year prior.
The professional and business services sector reported 5,200 fewer jobs. About 75% of the monthly decline came from administrative and support services. The sector remains the largest in OC, with 253,600 workers overall, reflecting a 4% year-over-year gain.
The total of government jobs fell by 3,900 in January. OC now has 146,100 government employees, a slight decrease from a year earlier.
Educational and health services saw jobs decline by about 1%, to 167,200. The sector remains among the biggest year-over-year gainers in OC, with a 4% growth since January 2012.
The financial activities sector also shrank by about 1%. It has 110,600 workers total, up by more than 5% from a year earlier.
The unemployment rate for California was 10.4% in January, up from December’s revised 9.8%, and down from 11.4% a year earlier.
Nationwide, the figure was 8.5% in January, up from 7.6% in December, and down from 8.8% a year earlier.
