The motion picture industry and income tax preparation services fueled job growth across Los Angeles County in March, helping to drive the SCV’s unemployment rate down to 6.1 percent.
That’s an improvement of 1.2 percent locally on the year, and a 0.2-percent improvement from February.
L.A. County’s adjusted jobless rate fell to 10.2 percent in March from 10.3 percent in February and 11.2 percent in March 2012, according the Employment Development Department.
The state’s rate for March was 9.4 percent, down from 9.6 percent in February and 10.7 percent in March 2012, while the nation’s rate for March was 7.6 percent, versus 7.7 percent in February and 8.2 percent one year earlier.
The information sector provided the biggest job growth in L.A. County in March (up 9,900), with motion picture and sound recording accounting for 97 percent of them (9,600).
Accounting, tax preparation and bookkeeping services accounted for 3,700 of the net 6,500 new jobs in the professional and business services sector.
Other gainers were leisure and hospitality, up 5,100; government (including public schools), up 4,200; private education and health services, up 2,700; miscellaneous, up 1,600; and financial activities, up 1,500.
The biggest loser was the trade-transportation-utilities sector (down 7,600), with transportation, warehousing and utilities accounting for most of the losses (4,100). Retail trade was down by 1,900 positions and wholesale trade down 1,600.
Santa Clarita Jobless Rate Falls to 6.1%
