With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
Why LA County's Unemployment Rate Is So Much Higher Than Most Of California's
A woman enters a Los Angeles office of the state Employment Development Department. The EDD released dismal employment figures today, showing that 1-in-5 L.A. County workers are jobless. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
()
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate now.
Unemployment in Los Angeles County rose to a staggering 20.3% in April, with coronavirus-related business closures putting roughly one-in-five L.A. workers out of a job.
Statewide unemployment came to 15.5%, setting what the California Employment Development Department described as a historical record, and eclipsing California's 12.3% peak during the Great Recession.
Support for LAist comes from
"This is unprecedented," said UC Riverside economics professor Gloria Gonzalez-Rivera, commenting on the grim unemployment report released by the EDD on Friday.
Chart shows a rise in the state unemployment rate. (California EDD)
()
The survey was taken in mid-April, capturing the economic toll of shuttering businesses to slow the spread of COVID-19. But with hundreds of thousands of Californians still filing claims for jobless benefits every week, the unemployment rate is likely even higher today.
California's leisure and hospitality industry -- which includes hotel, entertainment and restaurant workers -- saw the biggest losses. Compared to April of last year, close to 935,000 workers in that sector lost their jobs statewide.
Gonzalez-Rivera said L.A.'s economy has been hit hard because it relies so heavily on these kinds of service sector jobs, which often require face-to-face interaction. Other parts of California with higher concentrations of jobs that can be done remotely have fared better.
DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS
Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines.
Support for LAist comes from
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
"The regions that are technologically savvy will not be suffering as much as the economies that are relying on physical presences," she said.
Tech-driven San Francisco County had an April jobless rate of 12.6%. Unemployment in Santa Clara County, home to Silicon Valley, rose to 11.7%. Meanwhile, L.A.'s unemployment rate now ranks as the sixth-highest among California's 58 counties.
Still, no region was spared from widespread job losses. Other Southern California counties also saw large unemployment spikes in the latest report, with San Bernardino's rate hitting 13.4%, Orange County at 13.8%, Ventura's at 14% and Riverside's at 15.3%.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
This is the one time you can do this legally! -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.”
Best of LAist