San Benito County’s unemployment rate has continued decreasing
as expected during the summer months when agriculture harvesting is
in full swing, but the figures merely point to a seasonal shift and
overall the mood remains frustrating for residents out of work.
San Benito County’s unemployment rate has continued decreasing as expected during the summer months when agriculture harvesting is in full swing, but the figures merely point to a seasonal shift and overall the mood remains frustrating for residents out of work.
In the most recent unemployment figures released last week for the month of July, San Benito County had a rate of 15.6 percent, down considerably from a high of 22.1 percent in February and also ranking the area more in the middle of the pack compared with other counties in California.
San Benito had the seventh-worst unemployment rate earlier this year among 58 counties in the state, according to figures from the California Economic Development Department. It now ties for having the 21st-highest figure, putting it on par with areas such as Kings and Shasta counties, according to the EDD.
The worst unemployment rate for July was in Imperial, with 30.3 percent, and then Merced County at 18.9 percent.
But a relative leveling of the field doesn’t do much good for San Benito County residents outside of the agriculture industry who face a continually difficult market with little optimism in sight.
In other words, a 7 percent drop in unemployment during summer months comes as no surprise – agriculture is San Benito County’s biggest business and is busiest from July to October – and in reality signals how the 15.6 percent number for July is nearly twice as high as the usual for this time of year, said Enrique Arreola, deputy director of Community Services & Workforce Development.
Usually during the summer months when many seasonal farm workers are employed, the unemployment rate hovers around 8 or 9 percent, he said.
“That still translates to close to (4,000) adults,” said Arreola, of the unemployment rate. “That’s huge. And that’s not taking into account adults that may not have a plan for employment insurance.”
See the full story in the Free Lance on Tuesday.
