Summertime layoffs caused a loss of 7,900 jobs and a rise in the unemployment rate in San Diego County in July, according to data released yesterday by the California Employment Development Department.
But the monthly decline in jobs was so shallow that local economists interpreted it as good news, especially since it was accompanied by a rise in construction and scientific jobs. Even though employment during the month softened, year-to-year figures showed that San Diego is still adding jobs. From July 2006 to July 2007, San Diego added 13,800 jobs, an increase of 1.1 percent, slightly behind the 1.3 percent growth in the size of the labor force.
“It's a very pleasant surprise that we're adding jobs as well as we're doing,” said Kelly Cunningham, economist with the San Diego Institute for Policy Research. “Looking at it year over year, the numbers look pretty good.”
