California’s job market was flat in December, recording a 4.1 percent unemployment rate for the second consecutive month.
Employers added 16,200 non-agricultural jobs during the last month of 2022, the 15th consecutive month jobs have been added in that category, the state Employment Development Department reported.
Year-over-year, California’s job growth was up 3.6 percent in December, better than the U.S. rate of 3.0 percent. The state has about 70,000 more jobs than it had when the pandemic broke out nearly three years ago.
Nine of California’s 11 major sectors added jobs in December with education and health Services (8,200) showing the largest month-over-month gains. Construction added 7,500 jobs last month, partly because of gains in specialty trade contractors.
Riverside and San Bernardino counties recorded unemployment rates of 3.7 and 3.6 percent, both month-over-month drops of 0.5 percent, the department reported.