Jobless Rates Better Year-to-Year but Flat in the County in February

San Diego County’s unemployment rate was 9.3 percent in February, unchanged from the previous month, but below the 10.2 percent rate of February 2011, the state Employment Development Department reports.

The statewide and nationwide unemployment rates were 11.4 percent and 8.7 percent in February, respectively, the agency said Friday.

The figures are not seasonally adjusted.

February jobless rates in Patch communities (and the estimated number of unemployed residents) were:

• Carlsbad: 6.2 percent (3,000)
• Casa de Oro-Mount Helix: 8.8 percent (1,000)
• Encinitas: 6.6 percent (2,600)
• Imperial Beach: 14.9 percent (2,100)
• La Mesa: 7.8 percent (2,700)
• Lemon Grove: 11.7 percent (1,600)
• Poway: 5.6 percent (1,600)
• Ramona: 8.7 percent (800)
• Santee: 7.8 percent (2,600)
• Spring Valley: 10.8 percent (1,700)

San Diego—with Patch sites in La Jolla and Rancho Bernardo—had a February jobless rate of 9.3 percent, with 66,200 out of a workforce of 709,500, said the department.

There were 5,400 more nonfarm jobs in San Diego County in February than the month before, with the biggest gains in educational and health services, in government and professional and business services. 

Agricultural employment gained 500 jobs, according to the department. The leisure and hospitality industry and the financial activities industry posted job losses over the month.

Total nonfarm employment gained 9,000 jobs between February 2011 and February 2012, but agricultural employment declined by 1,300 jobs over the year, according to the department.

San Diego County had 148,500 people unemployed in February out of a total workforce of about 1.589 million people.

City News Service contributed to this report.