Unemployment Above 6% in Riverside

Amid a mix of payroll losses and gains throughout the regional economy, Riverside County's unemployment rate rose above 6% last month, according to figures released Friday by the California Employment Development Department.

The countywide jobless rate in August, based on preliminary EDD estimates, was 6.2%, compared to 6% in July.

According to data, the August rate was more than a half-percentage point above the year-ago level, when countywide unemployment stood at 5.5%.

Mecca had the highest unemployment rate countywide in July at 14.7%, followed by Coachella at 14.2%, Cherry Valley at 11%, Rancho Mirage at 8.7% and Indio at 8.6%.

The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties — the Inland Empire — in August was 6%, up from 5.9% in July, the EDD said.

Bi-county data indicated payrolls shrank by the widest margin in the agricultural sector, which shed a total 2,500 positions. The construction, financial services, hospitality, information technology and manufacturing sectors recorded aggregate losses totaling 2,300.

Miscellaneous unclassified industries additionally shed about 700 jobs, according to figures.

In the plus column, across the IE, the health services, professional business services, public and transportation sectors increased payrolls by an estimated 10,000 positions.

Only the mining sector was unchanged in August.

The statewide non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate last month was 5.9%.