Riverside County unemployment rate falls to 5.9% in September

Riverside County’s unemployment rate fell to 5.9% in September, down from 6.2% in August, according to preliminary estimates from the California Employment Development Department. This figure represents a 0.2 percentage point decrease compared to the same month last year.

Job growth was most significant in the public sector, particularly in education, as school staff returned to work following summer break. The agricultural, health services, and transportation sectors also saw a combined increase of 2,500 positions. However, the construction, financial services, hospitality, information technology, and manufacturing sectors experienced an aggregate loss of 3,600 jobs.

Within the county, Coachella reported the highest unemployment rate at 11.7%, followed by Cherry Valley at 10.9% and Blythe at 10.7%. For the broader Inland Empire region, which includes Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the combined unemployment rate dropped to 5.7% from 5.9% in August.