Stanislaus County’s unemployment rate rose in January, but continues to fall below 10 percent and the year-ago estimate, according to the latest release from the Employment Development Department.

The unemployment rate in Stanislaus County for January was at 9.4 percent, which is up from the revised rate of 9.1 percent posted in December, the EDD reported. The rate is below the year-ago estimate of 11 percent.

The largest job declines in the county in January came in the Trade, Transportation and Utilities sector, which includes retail. The EDD reported the sector saw a job decline of an estimated 1,700 positions in January. Of those losses, 13.6 percent came from clothing and accessory stores and 10 percent came from general merchandise stores. Historically, January sees an increase in the unemployment rate because numerous positions added for the holiday season come to an end.

Other sectors reflecting a decline in employment for the month in Stanislaus County were: Farm (400); Construction (300); Professional and Business Services (300); Leisure and Hospitality (100); and Other Services (100).

The only two sectors to post job gains for the month in Stanislaus County were manufacturing, which added about 200 positions, and government, which added approximately 100 positions, most of which were at local school districts.

The unemployment rate for Merced County was at 12.8 percent, up from 11.9 percent in December. San Joaquin County had an unemployment rate of 8.9 percent for January, up slightly from the 8.8 percent posted in December.

California’s unemployment rate was at 5.8 percent for the month and the nation’s was at 5.3 percent for the same time period.

Turlock had an unemployment rate of 8.4 percent, up from 8.2 percent in December. Denair had a rate of 5.4 percent, an increase from the 5.2 percent posted in December. Hughson had a January rate of 13.5 percent, an increase from the 13.1 percent recorded in December.  Keyes saw their rate jump from 14.9 percent in December to 15.3 percent in January. Ceres had an unemployment rate of 10.1 percent in January, up from 9.8 percent in December.

The occupations with the most help wanted ads in Stanislaus County for January were: Registered Nurses – 569; Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers – 309; Medical and Health Services Managers – 117; Critical Care Nurses – 112; Physical Therapists – 106; First Line Supervisors of Food Preparations and Service Workers Physical Therapists – 99; Speech-Language Pathologists – 98; Retail Salespersons – 97; First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers – 91; and Maintenance and Repair Workers, General – 87.

The 10 companies that posted the most help wanted ads for January in Stanislaus County were: The Hospitals of Providence – 147; TruStaff – 130; Tenet Healthcare Corporation – 126; Ceres Unified School District – 118; Kaiser Permanente – 93; Sutter Health – 80; Soliant – 71; E&J Gallo Winery – 70; California State University System – 59; and Supplemental Health Care – 51.