Sonoma County gained 3,000 jobs in September

Sonoma County’s jobless rate fell in September to 4.9 percent, the lowest level in more than six years.

The rate declined from a revised 5.3 percent in August and from 6.2 percent a year ago, according to the state’s Employment Development Department. It was the lowest level since April 2008, when the rate was 4.8 percent.

Business and government agencies in the county last month combined to employ more than 197,000 workers.

“We’re close to where we were at the top of the boom,” said Ben Stone, executive director of the Sonoma County Economic Development Board.

Over the past decade, the September level of employed workers in the county peaked at a little more than 200,000 in both 2006 and 2007. In contrast, the number fell to 177,600 in September 2010, at which time the jobless rate stood at 10.6 percent.

Last month, the county added a net of 3,000 jobs, the state reported. Many of the increases were related to seasonal gains. Public education institutions added 1,400 jobs, and the agriculture and private education sectors each gained 900 jobs.

In contrast, the leisure and hospitality sector declined by 400 workers, also a typical change for this time of year, said Janice Shriver, a labor market consultant with the state employment department.

“Teachers go back to work, and kids are back in school,” Shriver said. Hospitality businesses cut back as fewer families take vacations and travel.

Sonoma County last month ranked fifth among the state’s 58 counties for the lowest jobless rate. Marin County ranked first at 3.9 percent and Napa third at 4.4 percent. Mendocino ranked 10th at 5.7 percent and Lake 45th at 8.7 percent.

The September unemployment rate was 7.3 percent for California and 5.9 percent for the United States.

Over the past year, Sonoma County has gained 4,000 jobs, the state reported. Of those, 1,900 were tied to government special districts and Indian tribes, including the Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park that opened in November.

The county added 600 jobs to private education businesses, 500 jobs in administrative and support service positions, and 400 positions to the health and social service sector.

Empire College President Roy Hurd said private colleges typically aren’t adding new positions, meaning the private education gains may be concentrated in other businesses, including preschools, K-12 private schools or vocational schools.

But the Santa Rosa-based college has seen more hiring of graduates, including in health care and information technology. Several of its programs recently have enjoyed 100 percent placement of grads into jobs, and a recent job fair at the college drew 26 employers.

“That is truly a change,” Hurd said, “where the employers are coming to you.”

The college has 400 students in business programs and another 100 in its law school.

Among other industries, durable good manufacturers added 200 jobs in the past year.

More business means local manufacturers these days are better utilizing their plants, said Dick Herman, president of 101 MFG, a Petaluma-based alliance of manufacturing executives.

“I see two busy shifts the places I go, so that’s a very good sign,” Herman said.

Among sectors losing jobs, “retail trade took a hit,” Shriver said. For reasons unclear, it declined by 400 jobs in the last year.

While the news was mostly good, experts cautioned that economic slowdowns overseas could have an effect on both the national and local economies.

“Europe is a question mark for everybody right now,” Herman said.

And some observed that the recovery has benefited some Americans more than others. On Friday, Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen raised concern about rising income and wealth inequality in the United States, saying the gap is near its highest level in 100 years.

Stone, the county economic development director, acknowledged the recovery has yet to produce the “shared prosperity as we would like to see.”

But he pointed out that the county’s gross domestic product has grown a total of about 7 percent in the past five years to $22.6 billion. He considers that growth rate, while slower than in some past recoveries, sustainable. And the low unemployment numbers signal that employers will find it more difficult to fill positions.

“Broadly speaking,” Stone said, “it’s good news for people looking for work.”

You can reach Staff Writer ?Robert Digitale at 521-5285 or robert.digitale@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @rdigit.