Unemployment Rate Hits 3.6% in Orange County

Unemployment Rate Hits 3.6% in Orange County                                                                      BY: ND

Though still up 3,600 jobs over the year, Orange County lost more than 13,200 jobs over the month of March as the Coronavirus pandemic forced residents to shelter-in-place, causing businesses to shut their doors and lay-off or furlough employees.  The biggest segment of the jobs lost was in the professional and business services sector at 5,500, although leisure and hospitality was just behind with 3,000 jobs lost.  Read the full report published by EDD here.

The unemployment rate had been on a downward trend since peaking at about 10% in 2010.  Orange County is still below the California State average of 5.6% and the Nation at 4.5% for the same period.  But as CoStar notes, the unemployment claims in Orange County actually started to hit before the shelter-in-place orders were issued.