SAN DIEGO, CA – Unemployment in San Diego showed an increase during the month of March compared to the same period but in 2023, registering an unseasonally adjusted rate of 4.4% according to the most recent report from the California Employment Development Department (EDD).
The city showed an increase of 0.7 percentage points from the 3.7% achieved in March 2023, when it reported a labor force of 1,620,200 people, of which 1,560,800 had a job and 59,400 citizens were looking for one.
According to the EDD, in March 2024, the border city reached a labor force of 1,603,100 people. Of the total labor force in the third month, 1,532,300 people were employed, while 70,800 were looking for a job.
The number of unemployed in San Diego in March increased by 11,400 more than those counted in the same month, but in 2023.
California employers added 28,300 nonfarm jobs in March 2024 and the unemployment rate held steady at 5.3 percent.
Despite a loss of 6,600 jobs in February (revised downward by 3,200), primarily weather-related, March continued an eight-month employment growth trend totaling 205,200 jobs, which represented an average monthly increase of 25,700 jobs.
EDD indicated that the state’s labor market expansion has now lasted 47 months. Since April 2020, California has gained 3,062,700 jobs, or about 65,200 per month.
Seven of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs in March, with Private Education and Health Services posting the largest month-over-month gain for the third consecutive month with more than 13,600 jobs.
The above was due in part to payroll gains in Social Assistance, which experienced growth with in-home support services workers, EDD reported.
The construction sector rebounded after last month’s weather decline, with an increase of 4,600 jobs. The sector has added 33,900 jobs in a year.
Manufacturing experienced the largest employment decline for the month with 5 thousand 300 fewer jobs, the losses were primarily in sectors such as machinery and food manufacturing.
California’s latest unemployment rate is in line with the 5% average rate recorded in the five years prior to the pandemic, during one of the longest economic expansions in the state’s history.
