Stanislaus jobless rate for February lowest since 2007

Stanislaus County’s unemployment rate dipped again in February as the area’s workforce continues its slow climb back to prerecession levels.

The county’s jobless rate slipped to 10.7 percent for February, the lowest it has been for the month since February 2007 when it sat at 9.3 percent. At the height of the economic fallout in 2010, the county saw an 18.9 percent jobless rate for the month. The California Employment Development Department released the new unadjusted unemployment rates by county Friday, which included a revised rate of 11 percent for Stanislaus in January.

Still, as it has historically, the county and the rest of the Northern San Joaquin Valley and foothills lag behind the state and nation, which consistently have lower overall unemployment rates.

California’s unemployment rate fell for the second consecutive month since the start of the year, to 6.7 percent in February. California added 29,400 jobs last month, for a total gain of 1.8 million positions since the economic recovery began in February 2010, according to EDD. The last time the unemployment rate statewide was this low was June 2008.

In Stanislaus County, about 800 jobs were added from January and 4,500 jobs were added from February 2013. Year-to-year growth was seen in the trade, transportation and utilities fields, as well as professional and business services industries.

The national unemployment rate also decreased last month, to 5.5 percent.

Statewide, January’s unemployment rate was revised to 7 percent after California reported a gain of 59,100 jobs that month. However, unemployment insurance claims were up slightly for the month. The state reported that there were 426,874 people receiving benefits in February, compared with 397,142 in January.

California’s unemployment rate continues to vary widely by region. The Bay Area enjoys the state’s lowest rates, with San Mateo County reporting a 3.5 percent unemployment rate, the lowest county in the state. Colusa County had the highest unemployment rate at 22.7 percent.

This story was originally published March 20, 2015 at 5:17 PM with the headline "Stanislaus jobless rate for February lowest since 2007."