County’s Unemployment Rate Falls : Economy: August’s 6.1% is drop from July’s 7.0% but may not last.

San Diego County’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.1% in August, nearly a full percentage point below the July jobless rate. The reduction followed similar, previously announced declines in the state and national unemployment rates.

Jack Nowell, labor market analyst with the state Employment Development Department, cautioned that the August decline from July’s 7.0% unemployment rate does not necessarily denote an upturn in the employment picture.

That would require continued decreases over a quarter or more, he said. “If there is an anomaly in the sample, (the unemployment rate) could be up again,” Nowell said.

Moreover, a small decrease in July to August unemployment is customary, Nowell said, as many student workers go back to school. The August unemployment rate is still considerably above the 5.2% jobless rate in August, 1990, he said.

Total non-agricultural, salaried jobs in August countywide was 982,800, a drop of 1,300 jobs from the July figure of 984,100 and a decrease of 9,700 jobs from the August, 1990 level of 990,500.

California’s unemployment rate was 7.2% in August, down from 8.0% in July but up from 5.4% in August, 1990.

The nationwide unemployment rate was 6.5%, down from 6.7% in July but up from 1990’s 5.4%.

Virtually every job sector in the county reported drops in jobs, including financial services, transportation and utilities, construction and manufacturing.

The only sector showing a year-to-increase was government jobs, which grew to 167,700 jobs in July from 166,300 in August, 1990.

San Diego County Unemployment Rate 1990: Jan: 3.8% 1991: June: 7.1% August: 6.1% Source: State Employment Development Dept.