The Bay Area and California both lost thousands of jobs during February, but Marin County defied the trend, according to the California Economic Development Department.
The department’s monthly jobs report, released on Friday, raises questions about the strength of the economy in the state and the region. The job losses in the nine-county region and statewide suggest that the hiring boom that began in the final few months of 2023 and extended into January of this year has been interrupted, at least for the moment.
The Bay Area lost 4,200 jobs in February, according to the new report. California shed 3,400 jobs last month, a setback that terminated six straight months of employment gains statewide.
The statewide jobless rate was 5.6% in February compared to 5.7% in January, the report shows.
However, Marin County gained about 800 jobs between January and February. The unemployment rate in the Marin County was 4% last month, down from a revised 4.1% in January. The rate was 3.1% in February 2023.
Marin’s unemployment rate for February was the third-lowest in the state, behind San Mateo County at 3.7% and San Francisco at 3.8%.
Marin’s labor force — which includes both employed people and unemployed people looking for work — was 133,300 last month, up 0.9% from January, according to the state.
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The Independent Journal contributed to this report.