County Unemployment Numbers Released

The Employment Development Department (EDD) released numbers on 3/25 that show unemployment rates in Santa Barbara County dipped slightly from 10 percent in January to 9.6 percent in February, with the category of “agriculture and administrative support and waste services” gaining the most jobs. The greatest job losses were incurred in the “local county government” sector. Of the county’s 217,100 working residents, 196,200 are employed and 20,900 are unemployed. Goleta and Carpinteria numbers improved with each city posting 4.8 percent unemployment rates. A multi-county job rate growth throughout the state is indicative of a steadily improving economy, EDD representatives said; however, job losses in government and education remain a concern.