North Bay unemployment rises in February

March 15, 2002 -- The February unemployment rates in Sonoma, Marin, and Napa counties were 4.3%, 3.4%, and 4.0%, respectively, with Napa County having an unseasonally large percentage-point drop from 5.1% in January, according to state labor statistics released today.

Napa County?s jobless rate in February was one percentage point higher than it was the previous February, but the 1.1 percentage-point January-to-February drop is the largest for that period since the 2.2-point drop from 8.8% in January 1995, according to numbers from the labor market division of the state Employment Development Department.

While net employment declined in Marin and Sonoma counties between February and the same month last year, net employment in Napa and Solano counties increased by 3,300 jobs. The government sector had the largest increase with 1,700 jobs, followed by retail with 1,100, and construction and agriculture with 500 each. Service-related jobs declined by 600 jobs, mostly in entertainment, hotel, and business services.

Sonoma County had a 1.7-point increase in the jobless rate to 4.3% in February from the previous February. A major factor cited was 2,500 fewer jobs in manufacturing compared to 12 months prior, especially 1,800 fewer positions related to instruments and other high-tech products. Eleven hundred more government jobs, 300 more in retail, 200 more each in agriculture, finance, insurance, and real estate, and 100 more in construction resulted in a net total decline of 500 positions in the year ending in February.

In the reporting area for Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties, there were 41,600 fewer jobs in February than the same month last year, with losses mostly in services with 17,000 fewer jobs.

Statewide, the unemployment rate was 6.4% in February, and the rate was 6.1% nationwide.