Orange County’s unemployment rate fell to 3.7% in September from a revised 3.9% in August and above the 2.8% rate seen in September last year, according to the state’s Employment Development Department.
The state’s unemployment rate was 4.9% in September while the U.S.’s was 3.6%.
Nonfarm OC employment gained 11,300 jobs from August to September when 1.72 million were employed.
The county has surpassed the February 2020 pre-pandemic employment level of 1.68 million jobs.
Seven of the 11 industry sectors saw job increases.
Leading the job increase was the government sector, 9,600. Most of the increase came from local government education, up 9,100, as schools returned from summer recess. State government added 1,600 jobs as colleges resumed classes.
Private education and health services increased by 2,400.
Manufacturing declined the most, losing 1,400 jobs.
About 18.1 million worked in California in July, an increase of 8,700 nonfarm payroll jobs from August and up about 302,800 jobs from a year earlier.
Five of the 11 industry sectors added jobs month-over-month, led by private education and health services leading the way, 18,200.
Professional and business services posted the biggest decline, 10,900.
People receiving unemployment benefits fell by 26,305 to 368,452.
