November Unemployment Rates Released

A seasonal surge in job growth throughout the retail sector pushed Riverside County's unemployment rate below 10 percent last month, state officials reported Friday.

The county's non-seasonally adjusted jobless rate in November, based on preliminary estimates, was 9.6 percent, compared with 10.1 percent in October, according to the California Employment Development Department.

The rate was almost 2 percentage points below the level of November 2012, when unemployment stood at 11.4 percent.

The preliminary report showed that Temecula’s jobless rate was 6.5 percent in November—down from 6.8 percent in October and 7.7 percent in November 2012.

Murrieta’s unemployment rate was 6.3 percent last month—compared to 6.6 percent in October and 7.5 percent in November 2012.

Last month’s unemployment rates in other neighboring southwest Riverside County cities were 10.3 percent in Menifee, 9.3 percent in Lake Elsinore and 8.4 percent in Wildomar, the preliminary figures showed.

According to figures, Riverside County’s civilian labor force last month numbered 939,300 people, of whom 90,400 were out of work.

The unincorporated community of Cabazon had the highest unemployment rate countywide, at 24.6 percent, followed by Mecca at 19.6 percent and Homeland at 19.2 percent, according to the EDD.

The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties in November was 9.4 percent, down from 9.8 percent the prior month.

Bi-county data indicated major payroll expansion in retail trade, with roughly 9,000 jobs added last month as stores geared up for the holiday shopping season.

The leisure and hospitality sector grew by 5,700 positions, while the public sector added 2,200 jobs, virtually all of that in school districts and colleges.

Payrolls in professional and business services, financial services and construction altogether declined by 6,400 jobs, according to the EDD.

The farming sector showed marginal growth in November, gaining 600 harvesting jobs.

The state's non-seasonally adjusted jobless rate last month was 8.3 percent, according to the EDD.

The federal unemployment rate was 7 percent last month. Forty-five states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from October and five states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 43 states and decreased in 7 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in California (+44,300), Texas (+28,700), and Indiana (+25,200).

—City News Service and Maggie Avants contributed to this report.