Riverside County’s unemployment rate edged higher last month despite payroll gains in some sectors of the regional economy, according to figures released Friday by the California Employment Development Department.
The countywide jobless rate in February, based on preliminary EDD estimates, was 5.6%, compared to 5.5% in January.
According to data, the February rate was a full percentage point above the year-ago level, when countywide unemployment stood at 4.6%.
Mecca had the highest unemployment rate countywide in February at 13.4%, followed by Cherry Valley at 10%, Coachella at 9.4%, Rancho Mirage at 7.9% and East Hemet and Hemet, each at 7.7%.
The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties — the Inland Empire — in February was 5.5%, unchanged from January, the EDD reported.
Bi-county data indicated that payrolls expanded in multiple sectors, with the largest increase in health services, which added 3,800 positions.
Additional gains were recorded in the construction, financial services, hospitality, professional business services and public sectors, which grew by 3,300 jobs, according to the EDD.
Miscellaneous unclassified industries also expanded, by 500 positions.
The warehousing and retail trade sector shed the highest number of jobs at 4,700, while another 400 positions were lost in manufacturing, with an equal amount gone in the agricultural sector, while the mining and information technology sectors were unchanged last month, the EDD said.
The statewide non-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in February was also 5.6%.