Sonoma County unemployment rises to 5.1 percent as harvest ends

Sonoma County’s jobless rate climbed slightly in November, when farm employment dipped after harvest and retail hiring picked up for the holidays.

The county’s unemployment rate grew to 5.1 percent in November, up from 5 percent in October, according to figures released Friday by the state Employment Development Department. A year ago, the jobless rate stood at 6 percent.

“Seasonality is the word of the day,” said Ben Stone, executive director of the Sonoma County Economic Development Board.

The end of harvest and the build-up for the holiday shopping season bring predictable changes to the labor market every fall, Stone said. The key point, he said, is that local employers have added nearly 6,000 workers over the past year, and that means more people will be able to buy presents and dine in restaurants.

“It’s a good Christmas present for our retailers,” Stone said.

For California, the jobless rate last month was 7.2 percent. For the U.S., it was 5.8 percent.

Unemployment peaked in Sonoma County in early 2010 at 11.2 percent, and there was little job growth for the next two years. But in the last three years, the county has added 20,000 jobs, or nearly two-thirds of the 31,000 local jobs that were eliminated during the recession.

Jonathan Coe, president and CEO of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, said one reason for the rising employment is the “very intentional effort by folks in the community to grow the economy.”

Five years ago, Sonoma County had the 10th-lowest unemployment rate among the state’s 58 counties. Since then, he said, groups such as the Economic Development Board, Sonoma County Tourism and the chamber-sponsored Sonoma County BEST jobs program have been active, and the county now has the fifth-lowest jobless rate in the state.

“I think that’s really paying off,” Coe said of the job creation efforts.

Of nearby counties, Marin County had the lowest unemployment rate in the state, at 3.9 percent. Napa ranked seventh at 5.3 percent, Mendocino 15th at 6.3 percent and Lake 46th at 9.7 percent.

For Sonoma County, the biggest decline in employment last month came in the agricultural sector, which shed 2,000 jobs. Construction dropped 300 jobs, as did the professional and business services sector.

But retail trade added 900 jobs and wholesale trade grew by 100 jobs. The educational and health services sector increased by 500 jobs and the leisure and hospitality sector added 400 jobs. Local government agencies added 200 jobs and the information sector added 100 jobs.

Janice Shriver, an EDD labor market consultant, noted that the county has benefited from widespread employment growth.

“All your major industries gained jobs over the year,” she said, “so the area is doing well.”

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