Unemployment remains flat in Sonoma County

Sonoma County’s unemployment rate remained unchanged in March at ?4.1 percent as manufacturing, health and public education added the most new jobs, the state Employment Development Department reported Friday.

The March rate compared with 4.8 percent a year earlier.

“We’re doing well with the 4.1 percent,” said Janet Klaven, an EDD labor market consultant based in Santa Rosa.

The adjusted unemployment rate for the United States in March was 5.0 percent and for the state, 5.4 percent.

The county again posted the sixth-lowest jobless rate in the state, behind only San Mateo, Marin, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Orange counties.

Last month, Sonoma County added 1,600 jobs, boosting wage and salary employment to 205,700. ?The gains included 500 jobs in manufacturing, 400 in health care and social assistance and 300 in local school districts and state colleges.

The construction sector shed 100 jobs last month.

The county has added 36,000 jobs since March 2010, when the unemployment rate peaked at 11.5 percent in the wake of the recession.

Over the past six years, the sectors with the biggest gains include leisure ?and hospitality, 6,200 jobs; trade and transportation, 5,400; health care and ?social assistance, 5,300; government, 4,800; and professional and business services, 3,300.

“It’s an amazing wave of jobs,” said Ben Stone, executive director of the Sonoma County Economic Development Board. “It’s been a very broad-based recovery.”

In the past year, the county added 6,600 jobs, including 1,900 in leisure and hospitality, and 1,600 each in private education and health services, and in professional and business services.

Among the region’s counties, Napa last month posted the ninth-lowest jobless rate in the state at 4.4 percent. Mendocino ranked 26th at 6 percent and Lake ranked 31st at 7.2 percent.

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