Another month in 2023 brings another slight rise in unemployment for Stanislaus and Merced counties. The unemployment rate rose from 6.8% in February to 6.9% in March in Stanislaus County. In Merced County, it rose from 10.8% to 11.2% in a month’s span. According to the State of California Employment Development Department, March was the third straight month of unemployment rate rises for both counties.

The biggest contributor to the spikes is the retail industry. For the third straight month, retailers have seen the third-largest job decline. In March, Stanislaus County retailers went from 23,000 employed to 22,700, a loss of 300 workers. In Merced County, they went from 8,300 workers to 8,100. But just because workers are leaving the industry doesn’t mean the demand isn’t there. In Stanislaus County, retail jobs are the second-most in-demand with 837 job openings, only behind the health care industry, which currently has 2,093 openings. Retail is also the third-highest in-demand industry in Merced County, with 272 job listings.

Like Stanislaus County, Merced County is looking for health care workers as there are 387 openings. Health care is second to the education sector in Merced County, which has the most demand with 392 openings.

Despite the continuing overall losses in employment across counties, there were gains in the government sector. In March, local government education saw an increase of 300 jobs in Stanislaus County. The month also saw 200 local government jobs gained in Merced County.

By the end of March, the city of Turlock had a 4.8% unemployment rate, which translates to 1,600 individuals. In neighboring Denair, the rate sat at 4.9% with around 100 individuals unemployed. Hughson had 300 individuals without work, which translated to a 9.8% rate. In Hilmar, the rate was 6.1% representing 200 individuals without work. Keyes had a 4.7% rate, representing 100 people while Delhi and Livingston turned in predominately high rates of 10.8% and 10.3%, respectively. Those rates represent approximately 650 to 700 unemployed individuals.

In terms of the state as a whole, California had a 4.8% unemployment rate for March. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics lists California as the state with the seventh highest unemployment rate in the nation. Meanwhile, the United States has a nationwide unemployment rate of 3.6%.