Poway Unemployment Dips to 4.4 Percent

The unemployment rate in San Diego County last month was 7.4 percent, down from a revised 7.8 percent in July, and below the 9.2 percent recorded in August 2012, the state Employment Development Department announced Friday.

In Poway, the unemployment rate last month was 4.4 percent, a slight drop from 4.6 percent the previous month and lower than the 5.5 percent this time last year.

The EDD said the seasonally unadjusted statewide unemployment rate last month was 8.8 percent. The U.S. figure was 7.3 percent. 

In San Diego, a net of 2,900 nonfarm jobs were added in August, which included the greatest monthly gain ever in the leisure and hospitality sector -- 3,300 new positions, the agency reported. Of those, 2,900 were in food services and drinking establishments.

Over the last year, the region has gained 14,800 nonfarm jobs, with several thousand positions added in each of the education and health services, health care and social services, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services sectors.

Construction lost 1,800 jobs last month, but remains 700 positions higher than a year ago, the EDD said.

The agency said about 119,500 San Diegans were unemployed last month, out of a civilian workforce of 1.6 million.

-City News Service. Shauntel Lowe contributed to this report.