An influx of jobs within local school districts helped keep Stanislaus County’s unemployment rate at a low level in September, even with several sectors reporting job losses, according to the latest data from the Employment Development Department.

Stanislaus County had an unemployment rate of 4.6 percent in September, down from a revised rate of 5.7 percent in August and below the year-ago estimate of 5.2 percent.

The Government sector added an estimated 700 positions during the month of September, with the vast majority at the local school district levels, the EDD reported. Most of those positions were not new jobs, but rather returning to previously held positions with the start of the school year.

Only two other sectors posted job gains for the month. The Farming sector added about 200 positions and the Educational and Health Services sector added approximately 100 jobs.

Several sectors in Stanislaus County reported job losses for the month of September, with the Manufacturing sector showing the largest drop, with approximately 600 fewer jobs than the previous month. Most of those manufacturing jobs were of nondurable goods like food, according to the EDD data.

Other sectors that posted job losses were Professional and Business Services, which lost an estimated 400 jobs, followed by Leisure and Hospitality, which dropped about 200 positions for the month, according to the EDD. Trade, Transportation and Utilities and Mining, Logging and Construction each lost approximately 100 jobs.

Stanislaus County had an estimated labor force of 233,400 in September, with 11,300 unemployed.

Merced County had an unemployment rate of 5.5 percent in September, down from 7.2 percent in August. San Joaquin County had an unemployment rate of 4.7 percent in September, down from 5.8 percent the month prior. California’s September unemployment rate was at 3.5 percent and the nation’s was at 3.3 percent for the same time period.

Turlock’s unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent in September, down from 5.1 percent in August. Denair’s rate was 2.5 percent in September, down from 3.2 percent in August. Hughson had September rate of 4.7 percent, which was a drop from the 6 percent posted in August. Keyes saw a drop from 7.9 percent in August to 6.3 percent in September. Ceres had an unemployment rate of 5.2 percent in September, down from 6.6 percent in August.

The companies posting the most help wanted ads in Stanislaus County for September were: Tenet Healthcare Corporation - 231; Yosemite Community College District - 153; Conifer Health Solutions - 141; Emanuel Medical Center - 114; Sutter Health - 104; E. & J. Gallo Winery – 81; Memorial Medical Center, Modesto - 75; The Save Mart Companies – 69; Ceres Unified School District – 63; and Patterson Joint Unified School District – 48.
The positions with the most help wanted ads in Stanislaus County in September were: Registered Nurses - 316; Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers - 284; Retail Salespersons - 222; First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers - 204; Maintenance and Repair Workers, General - 116; Customer Service Representatives - 103; Stock Clerks, Sales Floor - 100; First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers - 89; Security Guards - 86; and Stock Clerks- Stockroom, Warehouse, or Storage Yard – 76.