Unemployment rates have been a hot topic this last year as the Country moves along the road of economic recovery. How is Napa doing? According to the latest local BLS data, the August unemployment rate in Napa County was lower than the 7.5 percent average in California. That rate has improved significantly since July in the Napa Valley region and has remained lower than it was at the start of the epidemic.
August unemployment in Napa County was 5.5 percent, down from 5.7 percent in July. This was a little improvement over August 2020, when the unemployment rate was 9.3 percent. These changes can be attributed to the continuous decrease in COVID cases based on survey data from mid-September, from the Washington Post report. Also, The leisure/hospitality and professional/business services sectors added the most employment in September (74,000 and 60,000), and there are also more available jobs in the retail sector.
September also saw an increase in average hourly earnings, up 17 cents to $30.85. Hourly earnings have increased for six consecutive months as businesses seek to fill open jobs.
It’s also interesting to note that employees are more ready to quit their companies than ever before. According to the BLS, a record 4.3 million workers left their employment in August. Meanwhile, portions of the nation were still rebuilding from Hurricane Ida’s devastation, and California is currently coping with the consequences of continuing wildfires.