Employers in San Diego County added 32,100 jobs in the 12 months ended in April as the unemployment rate neared a record low, state labor data released Friday showed.

The big picture: San Diego County’s unemployment rate was 2.9 percent in April, the state said. That is down from a revised 3.2 percent in March. The San Diego region added 32,100 nonfarm jobs in a year.

When seasonally adjusted, the county’s jobless rate was 2.8 percent, said Lynn Reaser, chief economist for the Fermanian Business & Economic Institute at Point Loma Nazarene University. April’s unemployment rate is the lowest since December 1999 when the rate hit 2.6 percent, she said.

California’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in April — a new record low — and the nationwide rate was 3.9 percent.


The California wave: In the past year, the state added 356,800 nonfarm jobs, and San Diego made up 9 percent of that. Alan Gin, economist at University of San Diego, said the region is mirroring a strong economy at the national level. April’s growth in California was widespread: Employers added jobs in 10 of the 11 industry sectors.

Gin said what is particularily encouraging about the San Diego job numbers is growth in the high-paying professional and business services sector.

Waiting for higher wages: With unemployment so low, some economists have reasoned wages should start to rise. But, it isn’t always a guarantee. Gin, of USD, said the areas where wage growth will be most evident are in technical jobs where companies are already working hard to recruit workers.

“It varies from job to job,” he said. “In those areas where the market is tight, people are going to have more options. Pay should improve considerably.”


What the numbers mean for job seekers and employers: Reaser said the tight labor market is great for employees but could present challenges for employers as they compete for talent. Last week, the San Diego Economic Development Corp. launched a website and educational campaign to help assist companies find workers in the science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, fields.

“With an unemployment rate below 3 percent,” said Sean Karafin, a vice president at the San Diego Regional Chamber, in a statement, “it’s no wonder why firms are having trouble finding qualified employees in the job market.”

Growth areas: The professional and business services sector has seen the biggest year-over-year growth of any industry in San Diego County, adding 14,100 jobs. Positions in that category include legal services, engineering, scientific research and development and architecture.

The other top industry is education and health services, adding 6,500 jobs in a year.


Where companies are hiring: UC San Diego had the most job advertisements in April with 2,079 posts. It was followed by Robert Half International with 765 ads, Marriott with 672 ads, and General Atomics with 621 ads.

What’s in demand: The occupation with the most job advertisements was software developers, which had 1,425 posts. It was followed by registered nurses (1,344) and retail salespersons (1,123).

How we compare: State labor officials do not seasonally adjust jobless rates for individual counties, but the unadjusted numbers show San Diego County had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the region in April at 2.9 percent. The jobless rate in Los Angeles County was 4 percent, 3.6 percent in San Bernardino County, 2.6 percent in Orange County and 3.8 percent in Riverside County.


Business

phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar


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