Stanislaus County saw its unemployment rate climb in June as school layoffs coincided with the end of the spring harvest season, according to the latest report from the Employment Development Department.

The unemployment rate for Stanislaus County in June was at 9.2 percent, up from the revised rate of 7.9 percent in May and below the year-ago estimate of 9.6 percent.

“It’s not unusual to see an increase in the unemployment rate between May and June because of seasonal factors in the area,” said EDD Labor Market Consultant Natividad Martinez. “We’re seeing the spring harvest come to an end at the same time that schools, both private and public are taking their break.”

The farming sector saw the largest decline in employment for the month, with an estimated 1,000 fewer positions. However, the sector has increased jobs for the year by about 100 positions, according to the EDD’s data. Typically, the sector sees an influx of seasonal jobs as the summer and fall harvest seasons get underway.

The government sector also saw a job decline for the month, with about 400 less positions. The majority of those positions were within local school districts that typically lays off employees for the summer and rehires when school begins. For the year, the government sector has increased jobs by about 600 positions.

The other sector that posted a job decline for the month was in Educational and Health Services, which recorded a drop of approximately 200 positions, according to the EDD. The sector is up for the year by an estimated 1,100 positions.

The sector that saw the largest increase in June was manufacturing, which added an estimated 600 positions for the year, with 5.6 percent of those positions coming from food processing. For the year, the sector has grown by an estimated 500 positions.

The Trade, Transportation, and utilities sector saw modest growth for the month, but is up significantly for the year. For the month of June the sector added approximately 100 positions, while for the year the sector is up by an estimated 1,800 positions. Of those positions, 5.1 percent are from wholesale trade and 5 percent are from retail trade, according to the EDD.

Other sectors in Stanislaus County that are reporting growth for the year are: Mining, Logging, and Construction (700); Financial Activities (100); Professional and Business Services (600); Educational and Health Services (1,100); Leisure and Hospitality (1,300); and Other Services (100).

The one sector that is down for the year is Information, which reported an estimated 100 fewer positions.

Stanislaus County had a labor force of 246,000 in June with approximately 22,600 unemployed.

The unemployment rate in Merced County for June was 10.6 percent, up from 9.7 percent. San Joaquin County had a June unemployment rate of 8.3 percent, up from 7.1 percent.

California had an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent and the nation’s was at 5.1 percent for the same time period.

Turlock had an unemployment rate of 8.2 percent in June, up from the 7.1 percent posted in April. Denair had a rate of 5.2 percent, which is an increase from the 4.5 percent posted in May; Hughson had a June rate of 13.1 percent, up from the 11.5 percent posted in May; Keyes had a rate of 14.9 percent in June, up from the 13.1 percent in May; Ceres had an unemployment rate of 9.8 percent in June, up from the 8.6 percent in May.

The occupations with the most help wanted ads in Stanislaus County for June were: Registered Nurses – 454; Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers – 383; Retail Salespersons – 115; First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers – 110; Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping – 91; First Line Supervisors of Food Preparations and Service Workers – 90; Maintenance and Repair Workers – 89; Security Guards – 80; Light Truck and Delivery Services Drivers – 79; and Critical Care Nurses – 76.

The 10 companies that posted the most help wanted ads for June in Stanislaus County were: West Suburban Medical Center – 205; The Hospitals of Providence – 148; Modesto City Schools – 101; Sutter Health – 87; California State University System – 73; Tenet Healthcare Corporation – 70; Ceres Unified School District – 60; Stanislaus County Office of Education – 56; Turlock Unified School District – 54; and Robert Half International – 52.