The unemployment rate in Stanislaus County fell below the 8 percent mark in April as several sectors reported moderate job gains for the month, according to the latest report from the Employment Development Department.

The April unemployment rate was at 7.9 percent, down from a revised rate of 8.8 percent in March, and below the year-ago estimate of 9.1 percent, according to the EDD.

The drop in unemployment was largely fueled by job growth in six different sectors. The sectors of Professional and Business Services, Mining, Logging and Construction and Other Services all reported job increases of approximately 100 positions each. The Farming sector posted an increase of an estimated 200 new positions. The Leisure and Hospitality and the Educational and Health Services each posted an increase of approximately 300 new positions each.

The two sectors that reported declines in jobs for the month were Trade, Transportation and Utilities and Government, both of which had an estimated 100 less positions for the month, according to the EDD.

The Manufacturing sector was flat for the month of April and is down by an estimated 200 positions for the year-over numbers.

Stanislaus County was ranked 48th in the state for unemployment. In March, the County was ranked 42nd. For the month of April Stanislaus County had an estimated labor force of 243,100, with approximately 19,100 unemployed, the EDD reported.

Merced County had an unemployment rate of 10.2 percent in April, down from a rate of 12.2 percent in March. San Joaquin County had an April unemployment rate of 7.1 percent, which was down from the 8.3 percent recorded in March.

California had an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent in April and the nation’s was at 4.1 percent for the same time frame.

Turlock’s unemployment rate dropped to 7 percent in April, down from 7.9 percent in March. Denair’s rate was at 4.7 percent for the month, down from 5.3 percent in March. Hughson had an April rate of 11.4 percent, which was a decline from the 12.7 percent posted in March. Keyes had a rate of 12.8 percent in April, which was a significant drop from the 14.3 percent posted in March. Ceres had an unemployment rate of 8.4 percent in April, down from the 9.5 percent in March.

The occupations with the most help wanted ads in Stanislaus County for April were: Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers – 540; Registered Nurses – 527; Retail Salespersons – 178; First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers – 134; Maintenance and Repair Workers – 128; Security Guards – 107; Customer Service Representatives – 102; Physical Therapists – 94; First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers – 92; and Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners – 92.

The 10 companies that posted the most help wanted ads for April in Stanislaus County were: Tenet Healthcare Corporation – 375; E&J Gallo – 106; Ceres Unified School District – 105; Sutter Health – 100; Modesto City Schools – 94; Robert Half International – 81; Turlock Unified School District – 69; Supplemental Health Care – 59; Kaiser Permanente – 55; and Pizza Hut – 54.