The unemployment rate in Temecula crept up in July, as did the percentage of those without work county-wide.
With losses in all but a couple of sectors, Riverside County's unemployment rate climbed to 13 percent last month, state officials reported Friday. Temecula had a preliminary jobless rate of 8.9 percent last month—up from 8.6 percent in June but still lower than a year ago when 10.1 percent were unemployed.
The county's non-seasonally-adjusted jobless rate, based on preliminary estimates, was four-tenths of a percentage point higher than in June but well below the level of a year ago, when it hit 14.6 percent, according to the California Employment Development Department.
Riverside County's civilian labor force numbered 942,600 people, with 122,100 out of work, the EDD reported.
The city of Cabazon had the highest unemployment rate countywide, at 31.3 percent, followed by Mecca at 25.4 percent and Homeland at 24.9 percent, according to the EDD.
In cities neighboring Temecula, Murrieta went from an unemployment rate of 8.3 percent in June to a preliminary 8.6 percent in July, officials said—still more than a percentage point lower than July of last year's rate of 9.7 percent, however.
In Lake Elsinore, 12.6 percent were unemployed, up from 12.2 percent in June. Menifee had an unemployment rate of 13.8 percent, compared to 13.4 percent last month, and Wildomar went from 11.1 percent without jobs to 11.4 percent.
The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties in July was 12.7 percent, up from 12.6 percent the prior month.
Bi-county data indicated that payrolls shrank in all but the construction and manufacturing sectors, which added a total 4,900 jobs in July.
The largest decline—14,900 positions—was in local government employment, mainly education, as teachers and other school workers dropped out of the workforce for summer recess.
More than 7,000 jobs were slashed in retail trade, financial, business and health services, as well as leisure and hospitality. Farm sector payrolls contracted by 4,000 after rising by an equal amount a month earlier, data showed.
The state's non-seasonally-adjusted jobless rate was 10.9 percent.
The federal unemployment rate for July was 8.3 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
—City News Service and Maggie Avants contributed to this report.
