Increasing momentum in the state’s recovery
Unemployment fell in California and the Sacramento region last month, state officials said Friday.
The Employment Development Department said the statewide unemployment rate dipped to 7.3 percent in September, from 7.4 percent the month before. However, the total number of payroll jobs in the state declined by 9,800, a surprising drop considering the increasing momentum in the state’s recovery in recent months.
In greater Sacramento, the unemployment rate fell to 6.6 percent from 6.9 percent. The region added 100 jobs in September.
Irena Asmundson, chief economist at the state Department of Finance, said the unusual movements in the statewide figures are a reflection of seasonal adjustments made by the statisticians. In August, the numbers showed the state adding more than 44,000 jobs, followed by a decline of nearly 10,000 in September. A more accurate picture, she said, is the state is gaining about 17,000 jobs a month.
The economy is performing “fairly well,” she said. “Very slow improvement, but it’s been steady.”
In Sacramento, the education sector added 3,900 jobs in September as schools went back into session. But the leisure and hospitality sector lost 3,700 jobs. Job losses in that industry are typical in September, although this was a greater decline than usual, according to EDD.