L.A. County Gains Jobs in December, Unemployment Drops

0

Los Angeles County added 25,900 jobs in December as its unemployment rate fell to 6.1 percent, down from 6.9 percent a year ago, the state Employment Development Department reported.


The state unemployment rate also dipped in December, to 5.8 percent, down from 6.5 percent a year ago.


Brad Kemp, a consultant in the EDD’s labor market information division, said year-over-year employment in the county has increased in each of the last nine months. Prior to April, Los Angeles did not record any monthly year-over-year employment growth in 2002 or 2003.


“Population-driven and business-driven industries are really going well,” he said, noting that professional and business services added 16,700 jobs, leisure and hospitality added 12,400 and educational and health services grew by 5,100 jobs compared with a year ago.


The month-over-month news was not as good, as December’s non-farm employment figures fell from November levels by 5,100 jobs to just over 4 million. That decline was attributed to non-seasonal job losses in the film industry, which is not unusual, Kemp said.


Manufacturing and government employment continue to decline, though the rate of decline appears to be decelerating. Manufacturers in Los Angeles County lost 7,300 jobs in the year ended December 2004, compared with losses of 34,200 jobs in 2003, and 28,000 in 2002.

No posts to display