The unemployment rate in Stanislaus County remained below 10 percent for the month of May, with more workers finding jobs as the harvest season gains momentum.
The Employment Development Department reported the unemployment rate for May in Stanislaus County was at 9.6 percent. The rate is a slight drop from the revised rate of 9.7 recorded in April and below the year-ago estimate of 11.1 percent.
The farming sector in the county saw the largest increase in jobs for the month, with an estimated 3,100 new positions added, according to the EDD. For the year the farming sector is up from last year’s total by about 100 jobs.
The manufacturing sector also recorded a job growth for the month because of the harvest. The sector added an approximate 800 new positions, the EDD reported. The majority of these — at 10.8 percent — were in food manufacturing.
The sunny days of May also saw an increase in the construction sector, with an estimated 400 new jobs added, according to the EDD.
Other sectors recording job growth for the month were: Leisure and Hospitality (300); Trade, Transportation and Utilities (200); and professional and Business Services (100).
All other sectors in the county stayed flat for jobs in May except one. The government sector recorded a job loss of about 400 positions. However, almost all of those were from school districts where employees are laid off for the summer and rehired when school resumes.
For the year over all but one of the sectors in Stanislaus County recorded positive numbers for job growth or stayed flat. The manufacturing sector is down about 1,100 jobs for the year-over rate, according to the EDD.
Stanislaus County had a May labor force of approximately 241,600, with 218,500 employed and 23,100 unemployed, the EDD reported.
The unemployment rate in Merced County came in at 11.1 percent for May, down from 11.6 percent in April. San Joaquin County had an unemployment rate of 8.6 percent in May, down from 8.8 percent. The unemployment rate in California was at 6.2 percent and the nation’s was at 5.3 percent for the same time period.
The unemployment rate in Turlock for May was at 8.6 percent, down from a rate of 8.8 percent in April. Denair had a rate of 5.5 percent, down from 5.6 percent recorded in April. Hughson had a May rate of 13.7 percent, a drop from the 14.1 percent recorded in April. Keyes saw their rate fall from 15.9 percent in April to 15.5 percent in May. Ceres had an unemployment rate of 10.3 percent in May, down from 10.5 percent.
The jobs and professions having the most help wanted ads in Stanislaus County for May were: Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers — 615; Registered Nurses — 469; Maintenance and Repair Workers, General — 192; Customer Service Representatives — 183; Retail Salespersons — 164; First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales — 149; Physical Therapists — 130; Insurance Sales Agents — 118; Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing — 112; and First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operation Workers — 109.
The 10 companies that posted the most help wanted ads for May in Stanislaus County were: Tenet Healthcare Corporation — 222; TruStaff — 113; Ceres Unified School District — 97; Sutter Health — 89; CTG - Computer Task Group — 88; Alliance Worknet — 80; Turlock Unified School District — 79; Modesto City Schools — 78; Kaiser Permanente — 76; and Supplemental Health Care — 75.
