Politics & Government

La Mesa Jobless Rate Rose to 7.2% in January, State Agency Reports

Spring Valley was at 9.9% and Casa de Oro-Mount Helix at 8.1%—under the county's 8.6% rate.

La Mesa’s unemployment rate in January was 7.2 percent, up from a revised 6.8 percent in December, the state Employment Development Department announced Friday.

About 2,500 La Mesans residents were jobless in a workforce of 34,800, the state said. 

Neighboring Casa de Oro-Mount Helix reported an 8.1 percent January jobless rate, up from December’s 7.7, and Spring Valley had a 9.5 percent jobless rate, up from December’s revised 9.5 percent, the state said.

Find out what's happening in La Mesa-Mount Helixwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The jobless rate in San Diego County was 8.6 percent in January, up from a revised 8.2 percent in December, but below the 9.5 percent figure from January 2012, the agency said.

That compares with unemployment rates of 10.4 percent in California and 8.5 percent nationwide during the same period.

Find out what's happening in La Mesa-Mount Helixwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Those figures are not seasonally adjusted.

The region lost around 22,000 jobs between December 2012 and January 2013, according to the state agency.

The biggest job losses in over the month came in the trade, transportation and utilities sector, which was down 9,400 jobs.

About 80 percent of the sector’s seasonal losses were in retail trade, mostly from general merchandise, clothing and clothing accessories stores.

Seven other sectors reported losses over the month, including leisure and hospitality, government, professional and business services and education
and health services, according to the agency.

A gain of 300 positions was recorded in the financial activities sector and agricultural employment gained 200 jobs.

The agency reported that 137,200 San Diego County residents were jobless in January, out of a civilian labor force of more than 1.6 million people.

—City News Service contributed to this report.


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