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200 Manteca residents find jobs in August
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Manteca enjoyed the biggest drop in its unemployment rate in nearly two years in August as 200 people found jobs.

It dropped the August jobless rate down to 14.5 percent from a post-World War II high in of 15.2 percent. It was the lowest rate since April when 14.1 percent of the Manteca workforce was without jobs. It’s been a year since the jobless rate was under 14 percent in Manteca. That was in September 2009 when it was at 13.5 percent. The jobless rate in Manteca hasn’t been under 10 percent for nearly three years.

In real numbers, there are 4,100 employable Manteca residents out of work while 23,900 are working.

Statewide the July unemployment figures inched up to 12.4 percent in August  compared to 12.3 percent of the work force idle in July. The national jobless rate crept up from 9.5 percent in July to 9.6 percent in August.

Countywide, the unemployment rate dropped to 16.6 percent in Agust from 17.4 percent in July based as the latest unemployment statistics were released by the California Employment Development Department.

The jobless rate in August in Ripon was pegged at 11.7 percent down from 12.3 percent, in Lathrop at 13.5 down from 14.2 percent, in Escalon it was 15.3 percent down from 16.1 percent, in Tracy is was 10.4 percent down from 11 percent, in Lodi it was 12.6 percent down from 13.3  percent, and in Stockton it was at 19.9 percent down from 20.9 percent.

There were four bright spots in the San Joaquin County economy. Farming added 1,900 jobs after losing 8,000 in July. Manufacturing added 800 jobs on top of the 700 jobs created in July while trades and transportation increased payrolls by 400 following expansion by 500 in July. Professional and business services added 100 jobs.

The big losers were government with a loss of 300  jobs, financial activities down 100 jobs added on to 200 jobs lost in July, and other services down 100 jobs.

Government is the No. 1 source of jobs in San Joaquin County with 37,100. That is followed by education and health services with 27,500 jobs, farming with 16,400, manufacturing with 20,000, as well as leisure and hospitality with 16,500.

The jobless rate in the Northern San Joaquin Valley is impacted as much by the Bay Area economy as it is by the local economy. The data reflects the number of available adults who are gainfully employed or not within a certain jurisdiction within the county. Overall, the job count reflects positions available in the county although they could be held by non-county residents just like many Bay Area jobs are held by those who live in the Northern San Joaquin Valley.