The unemployment rate in Stanislaus County remained unchanged in July according to the latest figures from the California Economic Development Department.

The county’s unemployment rate was at 15.7 percent in July, the same as the revised rate in June. The unemployment rate is below the year ago estimate of 17.2 percent.

While the unemployment rate remained unchanged, the number of people counting themselves among the county’s labor force dipped, as did the number of employed and unemployed individuals. The labor force declined from 237,600 in June to 236,500 in July. The number of employed decreased by 700 and the number of unemployed fell by 400 between June and July, according to the EDD.

“It’s not uncommon in July to see less people working or seeking work because of seasonal positions, like those in education,” said Natividad Martinez, a labor analyst for the EDD.

Five sectors in Stanislaus County reported job losses between June and July, with farming taking the biggest loss at 3,000 positions. Other sectors reporting losses were: Trade, Transportation and Utilities, with a loss of an estimated 200 positions, mostly in the warehouse and shipping industry; Professional and Business Services saw an approximate decrease of 100 positions; Educational and Health Services saw a decline of about 300 positions; and the Government sector reported an estimated loss of 700 positions. Most of those positions are within education and are expected to rebound in August when school resumes.

In some encouraging news, construction and manufacturing continued to show improvement locally, both for the month and the year over. Construction jobs grew by an estimated 100 positions between June and July and have added an approximate 600 positions since last July. Manufacturing saw an increase of about 900 positions for the month and is up 300 positions from last year.

“It is a normal seasonal pattern to see farming decline at this time and manufacturing increase,” Martinez said. “It follows the path of the food from harvest to processing.”

The EDD tracks local job postings and found that in July the occupations with the most advertised openings in Stanislaus County were: Registered Nurses – 387; Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer – 319; Retail Salespersons – 183; First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Retail Sales Workers – 171; Customer Service Representatives – 122; First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Production & Operations – 102; Physical Therapists – 102; Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing – 99; Occupational Therapists – 91; and Medical and Health Services Managers – 82.

The employers with the most job ads for July in Stanislaus County were: E. & J. Gallo Winery – 135; Sutter Health – 114; Modesto City Schools – 59; Kaiser Permanente – 58; Staples – 53; Supplemental Health Care – 42; Edward Jones – 40; Doctors Medical Center Of Modesto – 36; Turlock Unified School District – 36; and Medical Connections – 32.

The unemployment rate in Merced County fell to 17.5 percent in July, down from 17.8 in June. San Joaquin County’s unemployment rate grew from 14.9 percent in June to 15.1 percent.

California’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 10.7 percent in July, and nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 25,200 during the month.

The U.S. unemployment rate increased just slightly in July from 8.2 percent to 8.3 percent.

The unemployment rate in Turlock came in at 12 percent in July, down just a bit from 12.1 percent in June. Denair’s rate fell from 8.8 percent to 8.7 percent in July. Hughson’s rate dropped to 20.4 percent in July from 20.5 percent in June. Keyes came in with a rate of 27.1 percent, down from 27.3 percent in June.