Orange County’s unemployment rate was 4.2% in February, unchanged from a revised 4.2% in January and up from 3.4% a year ago, according to the state’s Employment Development Department.
It’s the highest unemployment level in two years.
The state’s unemployment rate was 5.6% in February while the U.S.’s was 4.2%.
Nonfarm OC employment increased by 10,400 jobs from January to February when 1.69 million were employed.
Six of the 11 industry sectors saw job increases.
Leading the job increase was the professional and business services sector, up 3,400 jobs, led by the administrative and support and waste management and remediation services, with 1,900 jobs that provided the majority.
Private education and health services added 3,300 jobs while government was up 2,500 jobs.
Trade, transportation and utilities decreased the most, 1,300, led by retail trade drop of 1,700 jobs.
About 18 million worked in California in February, a decline of 3,400 jobs from January and up about , an increase of 58,100 nonfarm payroll jobs from December and up about 179,700 jobs from a year earlier.
The biggest decline was in construction, which fell 9,600 jobs. Four of the 11 industry sectors added jobs month-over-month, led by private education and health services, up 15,400.
People receiving unemployment benefits rose by 33,219 to 425,760.
