March was not a good month for job growth in California

Califoia employers added a scant 4,200 jobs in March compared with the nearly 40,000 that were added the previous month and that same trend played out in Los Angeles County.

But the state posted a year-over-year gain of 420,800 jobs at an aual growth rate of 2.6 percent, the state Employment Development Department reported Friday. Califoia led the nation in yearly job growth.

Califoia leads nation in aual job growth

Figures from the Labor Department show that Califoia’s aual gain far outpaced Florida’s 234,300 jobs added and Texas, which ranked third with 185,000 new jobs. Moreover, Califoia has now added 2,134,400 jobs since the recovery began in February 2010.

The Golden State’s unemployment rate dipped to 5.4 percent in March compared with 5.5 percent the previous month and 6.6 percent a year earlier.

Economist Robert Kleinhenz, executive director of research for Beacon Economics, said Califoia’s year-to-year job growth marked the state’s weakest showing in two years. But the region’s fundamentals remain strong, he said, and will likely lead to increased job creation this year.

“The unemployment rate for Califoia is just half a percentage point higher than the nation and it’s been about 10 years since that happened,” he said. “The overall picture is one of positive growth for both Califoia and Los Angeles County.”

L.A. County sees hiring slowdown

L.A. County added 12,800 jobs last month. That was far less than the 45,800 that were added in February. But the county’s jobless rate dropped to 5.4 percent from 5.6 percent in February and it landed a full 2 percentage points below the year-ago rate of 7.4 percent.

Govement accounted for the biggest piece of last month’s employment boost with 5,800 new jobs, and leisure and hospitality added another 3,400. Manufacturing — which has weathered years of decline in Southe Califoia — boosted its payrolls by 2,100, and education and health services also added 2,100 jobs.

Professional and business services saw the biggest decline in March with a loss of 2,100 jobs and additional losses were seen in construction, trade, transportation and utilities and mining and logging.

Year over year, L.A. County added 97,700 jobs at a rate of 2.3 percent.

The county’s biggest aual employment gain came in educational and health services, which added 36,800 jobs. Other sizable increases were seen in leisure and hospitality (19,900) and trade, transportation and utilities (11,100).

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Construction added 3,900 jobs but manufacturing shed 5,100.

Inland Empire posts increase in job gains

The Inland Empire added 8,100 jobs last month — up from the 3,100 that were added in February — and 45,400 over the year at a robust aual rate of 3.4 percent. Unemployment held steady at 5.8 percent, landing a percentage point below the March 2015 reading of 6.8 percent.

The two-county region’s biggest job gains for March came in govement, which saw an increase of 2,900 jobs. Six other sectors also posted gains, led by trade, transportation and utilities (1,900) and educational and health services (1,700).

Leisure and hospitality saw the only decline with a loss of 700 jobs.

The biggest year-over-year employment gains came in trade, transportation and utilities, which added 14,800 jobs. Nine other sectors also posted gains including construction, which added 6,500 jobs.

Inland Empire economist John Husing was pleased with Friday’s numbers.

“What I see is that for three straight months the Inland Empire has added about 45,000 jobs over the same period last year,” he said. “If that holds for the whole year we will have had the four of the strongest years in the history of the region.”

Husing dispelled the notion that employment agencies are responsible for much of the employment growth in distribution and transportation.

“Hiring in employment agencies was down 8,800 jobs over the year,” he said. “The Inland Empire has resumed its role as being one of the fastest growing major metropolitan areas in the state of Califoia.”