SD County unemployment higher than in the U.S.

San Diego County's unemployment rate in July was higher than the United States rate for the first time since November of 2015, according to Emerson Figueroa of the California Employment Development Department.

San Diego County's rate in July of 2017 was 4.7 percent; the nation's rate was 4.6 percent during the same period. In November of 2015, San Diego's rate was 4.9 percent and the nation's was 4.8 percent; the previous month, October of 2015, both had a rate of 2.7 percent.

Also defying recent history, San Diego County nonfarm jobs declined in July by 7,900 from June. For some time, the county has been adding jobs in most months. However, seasonal factors were involved: the county lost 9100 jobs in the local education sector.

A bright note was that leisure and hospitality jobs rose 3800 during the month, although there is a seasonality factor in that number, too.