The unemployment rate in Stanislaus County took a dip in July according to the latest report from the Employment Development Department.

The July unemployment rate came in at 6.7 percent, down from the 7.2 percent recorded in June. The rate also is below the year-ago estimate of 7.6 percent.

The region was split with some sectors seeing job increase for the month, while others recorded losses. The three sectors with gains in July were Manufacturing (1,200), Professional and Business Services (500), and Leisure and Hospitality (100).

The jump in manufacturing was largely in the food manufacturing industries, which recorded a 10.6 percent increase in hiring for the month of July, according to the EDD. Though the sector saw a jump in July, it remains down by an estimated 300 positions from the year-ago number.

The sectors posting job losses were Farming (100), Trade, Transportation (100), Educational and Health Services (200), and Government (800). The job losses in the Government sector were overwhelmingly from local school districts, which typically layoff employees during the summer months.

Merced County had an unemployment rate of 8.1 percent in July, which is down from the 8.6 recorded in June. San Joaquin County had an unemployment rate of 6 percent in July, which is down from the 6.4 percent in June.

California’s unemployment rate was at 4.4 percent for the month, while the nation’s was at 4.1 percent for the same time period.

Turlock’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.1 percent in July, down from 5.4 percent in June. Denair’s rate was at 5.4 percent in July, down from 5.8 percent in June. Hughson had a July rate of 5.6 percent, down from the 6 percent posted in June. Keyes saw a drop from 14 percent in June to 13.1 percent in July. Ceres had an unemployment rate of 8.2 percent in July, down from the 9 percent in June.

The occupations with the most help wanted ads in Stanislaus County for July were: Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers – 543; Registered Nurses – 348; Retail Salespersons – 147; First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers – 115; Maintenance and Repair Workers – 97; Security Guards – 91; Customer Service Representatives — 81; Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers – 80; Driver/Sales Workers — 65; and First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers – 65.

The 10 companies that posted the most help wanted ads for July in Stanislaus County were: Tenet Healthcare Corporation – 167; Sutter Health –107; Modesto City Schools – 84; Turlock Unified School District – 72; Nationwide Professional Resources, Inc. — 60; Robert Half International — 53; Kaiser Permanente – 49; Foster Farms — 45; Stanislaus County Office of Education – 44; and Target Corporation – 44.