Hollister
– Job-seekers, rejoice – San Benito County’s unemployment rate
has been dropping steadily for the past six months.
Hollister – Job-seekers, rejoice – San Benito County’s unemployment rate has been dropping steadily for the past six months.
According to data from the state Employment Development Department, the county unemployment rate fell from 8.4 percent in January to 6.1 percent in June.
County unemployment followed a similar pattern in 2006, falling from 9.3 percent in January to 6.5 percent in June. Al Martinez, executive director of the nonprofit Economic Development Corp., said the numbers are following a seasonal trend.
“There’s a natural drop when you hit the summertime (due to seasonal farmworkers),” he said. “It increases when you get into the fall.”
But Martinez believes he’s seeing long-term economic gains as well. The EDD’s numbers back up Martinez’s claim, with the unemployment rate falling from 7.1 percent in June 2005, to 6.5 percent in June 2006, to 6.1 percent in June 2007.
Laurie Miramontes, manager with the local office of Manpower Staffing Services – which matches up job-seekers and companies, often for temporary positions – said things are picking up for her agency, too. Just two months ago, Manpower was concerned about a dearth of local jobs, she said.
“We were like, ‘Whoa, what’s going on?'” Miramontes said.
But Manpower has picked up some new clients since then. And industrial jobs – such as welding, packing, and shipping and receiving – are in high demand.
“Those seem to be the hot jobs right now,” Miramontes said. “I don’t know if it’s due to the season or what.”
Administrative and clerical jobs are harder to find, she said.
Martinez said it’s hard to quantify growth in specific industries because the EDD groups San Benito County’s industry-by-industry numbers with Santa Clara County’s. But plenty of local businesses are flourishing – or “kind of holding their own” – including Corbin and technology company Patchin Consulting Systems, Martinez said.
“I was telling those guys (at PCS) that their parking lot always seems to be full, and they said they had their best year ever,” Martinez said. “While there’s a big mix, I think there’s an overall increase.
