LAKE COUNTY – The unemployment rate for Lake County got a little better last month, but it”s still 1.2 percent above the rate a year ago.
The county is ranked 38 out of the state”s 58 counties in terms of employment, with one being the best and 58 the worst, according to Dennis Mullins of the North Coast Labor Market Information Division.
April”s rate was 9.4 percent, down .8 percent from the month before. Surrounding county rates included 12.1 percent for Colusa County, a county comparable in population to Lake County, and 4.9 percent for Sonoma County.
The leisure and hospitality industry lost 120 jobs over the past year; professional and business services shed 80 jobs; natural resources, mining and construction dropped 30 and financial activities shed 20 jobs.
City of Clearlake Administrator Dale Neiman reported the number of building permits issued during the last six months were “down substantially from last year.”
To date, just 50 have been issued in the city this year, compared to 149 last year.
While 120 jobs were shed in hospitality and leisure in the past year, the total of 1,390 jobs held in that sector is a “good number” for Lake County, Mullins said, considering the fact the summer tourist season is just beginning. A year ago, the sector had 1,510 jobs.
Mullins said the 120 shed jobs “could be attributable to one establishment,” meaning the number is even less significant, but he could not confirm which establishment that may be.
It”s not Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa, which Mullins mentioned as a possibility due to it being for sale.
Greg Bennett, manager of Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa said, “I completely disagree that the 120 people had anything to do with layoffs. We haven”t done anything different. Nothing has changed at all in regards to the summer people, and through the off-season ? we”re not even close to being sold,” Bennett said of the major hotel and tourist-attraction”s listing for sale by Atlas Hospitality.
It”s also possible the lost tourism jobs resulted from businesses cutting back on employees due to a worsening economy.
And while the farm and government industries led employment gains, adding 160 jobs each over the year, it”s yet to be seen how the harsh April frost could affect farm worker employment. Many area farmers reported frost damage so severe that they won”t have a crop this year, meaning less need to hire workers to prune, or pick.
Walnut farmer Alex Suchan told the Record-Bee April 25, just after the severe frost damage, “There might be little re-sprouts, but at very best it will not be economic. It won”t be enough to hire labor.”
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com
