San Diego's job market shows improvement with growth in leisure and hospitality sectors.
San Diego’s unemployment rate has decreased to 4% in May, matching the national average. Job growth in the leisure and hospitality sectors is leading the recovery, with over 3,400 jobs added. Despite challenges in the tourism industry, the job market is showing positive trends, aided by local events like San Diego Pride and Comic-Con. Other sectors, including government and health services, have also seen job additions, while the overall labor force continues to grow. Comparatively, San Diego’s unemployment rate remains lower than several other California counties.
San Diego has reported a decrease in its unemployment rate to 4% for May, down from a revised 4.1% in April. This decline aligns with the national unemployment rate, which also stands at 4%. However, California’s overall unemployment average is higher at 4.9%.
Significant job growth has been noted within the leisure and hospitality sectors, which saw the addition of 3,400 jobs in May. This trend is expected to continue into the busy summer season, which will be bolstered by major events such as San Diego Pride and Comic-Con. Current data shows that the leisure and hospitality sector employed around 207,000 individuals in May, nearing pre-pandemic levels typically witnessed in August 2019, when employment surged to 208,800 jobs.
Despite this upbeat job growth, challenges remain in the tourism hiring landscape due to factors like travel bans and tariffs affecting the U.S. tourism industry. In April, California Governor Gavin Newsom launched a marketing campaign aimed at attracting Canadian travelers back to the state to support local economies.
The Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center in Chula Vista has made a notable impact on local hiring, creating over 1,000 jobs. However, the staffing market faces complexities; industry experts highlight that many workers are reluctant to change jobs amid ongoing uncertainties, contributing to low turnover rates.
Aside from tourism, other sectors also experienced job growth from April to May. The government sector, primarily in state education, added 1,000 jobs. Additionally, the other services sector, which includes services like laundry and maintenance, saw an increase of 900 jobs. The private education and health services sector contributed 800 jobs, while trade, transportation, and utilities also recorded 800 new jobs. The construction industry added 400 jobs during this time. On the downside, manufacturing lost 400 jobs, while professional and business services decreased by 200 jobs, and the information sector had 100 fewer jobs.
In May, the labor force in San Diego County grew by 2.8% over the past year, bringing the total to 1.68 million workers. In spite of the job growth, the adjusted unemployment rate sits at approximately 4.6%. A comparative analysis has shown that job growth rates in California have been lagging behind the national figures, with the state seeing only a 2% increase since February 2020, contrasting with the 4.8% national growth rate.
Private education and health services have been the region’s largest growth industry, showing an impressive gain of 12,400 jobs. Meanwhile, the federal workforce in San Diego has slightly decreased to 23,800 nonmilitary positions, reflecting a loss of 800 jobs over the year.
The demand for workers continues to grow, with the highest number of job openings recorded in May for retail salespersons at 1,873 openings and registered nurses at 1,679 openings. Major employers actively seeking to fill positions include Sharp Healthcare, Apple, Qualcomm, and UC San Diego.
San Diego’s unemployment rate of 4% stands relatively low compared to other California counties. Los Angeles County has an unemployment rate of 5.4%, while Orange County and San Francisco County are slightly better at 3.6%. The job market in San Diego continues to be influenced by various factors including travel restrictions and federal policies aimed at boosting tourism and local employment.
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