Gains in most sectors of the regional economy pushed Riverside County’s unemployment rate lower last month, state officials reported Friday.
The jobless rate in May, based on preliminary estimates, was 3.6 percent, compared to 3.8 percent in April, according to the California Employment Development Department.
The rate was one-tenth of a percentage point lower than the year-ago level, figures showed.
Roughly 38,600 residents were out of work in May, and 1,043,600 were employed, according to the EDD.
The unincorporated community of Cabazon had the highest unemployment rate countywide at 8.1 percent, followed by Coachella at 6.8 percent and the unincorporated community of Highgrove at 6.2 percent.
The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties in May was 3.5 percent, down from 3.7 percent in April, officials said.
Bi-county data indicated payrolls expanded by the widest margin in the retail trade sector, which added an estimated 1,500 positions last month.
Additional gains were recorded in the public, health services, educational services, professional business services, agricultural, hospitality, financial and construction sectors, which altogether expanded by 6,300 jobs, according to the EDD.
Payrolls contracted in the manufacturing sector, as well as miscellaneous unclassified industries, which lost an aggregate 600 positions, data indicated. The information technology sector was unchanged.
The EDD said that the state’s non-seasonally-adjusted jobless rate in May was 3.5 percent.