Local unemployment keeps dropping

San Diego County non-farm unemployment dropped to 3.3 percent in November from a revised 3.7 percent in October and 4.3 percent a year ago.

The big gainer was retail employment, a seasonal phenomenon. Retail employment rose by 6300. But another sector that should grow in the holidays, drinking and food service, lost 2300 jobs, the largest month-over-month decline.

The county gained 20,800 jobs from a year ago, a gain of 1.4 percent. The highest county rate in November was Bostonia (near El Cajon) at 5.9 percent. Imperial Beach followed at 5.1 percent. The lowest was Del Mar at 0.3 percent.