10:05am | Unemployment in Long Beach fell slightly to 13.9% in December from 14.3% in November, according to a report released by the Employment Development Department on Friday.
EDD’s report on payroll employment in the non-farm industries of California totaled 13,897,100 in December. That’s a net gain of 4,900 jobs since the November survey, which followed a gain of 30,500 jobs in November, the monthly report on employment shows.
Seven categories—manufacturing; information; financial activities; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and other services—added a total of 33,700 jobs in December, the report shows.
Leisure and hospitality, a key sector for Long Beach, posted the largest increase over the month, adding 9,300 jobs. Four categories—mining and logging; construction; trade, transportation and utilities; and government—reported declines. Government posted the largest decline over the month, down by 15,400 jobs, according to the EDD report.
“In a year-over-year comparison (December 2009 to December 2010), non-farm payroll employment in California increased by 87,500 jobs (up 0.6%),” the report states.
Seven industry divisions—manufacturing; information; financial activities; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and other services—posted job gains over the year, adding 146,700 jobs.
Three categories—construction; trade, transportation and utilities; and government—posted job declines over the year totaling 59,200 jobs. Construction employment showed the largest decline, down by 32,900 jobs.
Despite the drop, Long Beach still has a reported 33,100 unemployed. Making matters worse, The Boeing Co. announced last week it anticipated they will be laying off 1,100 employees, the majority of whom work in the company’s Long Beach facility. The move is part of a transition announced last year, in which Boeing will deliver 13 C-17 Globemaster III airlifters in 2011 as the company moves to a new production rate of 10 C-17s per year.