Stock photo.

Preliminary job numbers for March show decreases across the four counties in unemployment, with moderate job increases month-over-month and significant job increases year-over-year.

Fresno County unemployment decreased .8 percentage points from February to 6.9% in March.

This is a decrease of 4.3 percentage points from March 2021’s 11.2% unemployment. Preliminary California unemployment for March 2022 was 4.2% and 3.8% for the U.S.

Across all industries a net 200 jobs were added in Fresno County— 1,700 nonfarm jobs while farm employment decreased by 1,500 jobs.

Job increases in educational and health services sectors as well as leisure and hospitality lead the way with increases of 800 and 700 jobs respectively.

Leisure and hospitality jobs — ones affected the most by the government shutdowns — have increased by 6,200 jobs year-over-year for a total of 80,000.

The educational and health services sector as well as the hospitality sector recorded the largest year-over year increases, with 6,200 jobs and 5,300 jobs added, respectively. Trade, transportation and utilities jobs followed those two with net increases of 5,300 jobs. Of those 5,300 jobs; transportation, warehouse and utilities employment increased by 1,900 jobs; retail grew by 1,400 jobs; and warehouse trade added 900 jobs.

Month-over-month, however, jobs in trade, transportation and utilities decreased by 700, with the biggest losses recorded in the retail sector — a decrease of 600 jobs there made up 86% of those losses.

In Tulare County, decreases of 2,800 jobs month-over-month in farm employment outweighed the modest increase of 400 non-farming jobs. Being largely seasonal, most farm jobs are not calculated into total unemployment numbers. Unemployment in Tulare County dropped .9 percentage points to 8.4%. Year-over-year unemployment dropped 4.4 percentage points, adding 9,100 jobs across all industries.

Job numbers across nonfarm industries remained largely static in Tulare County, with increases only being recorded in leisure and hospitality (200 jobs), manufacturing (100 jobs) and trade, transportation and utilities (100 jobs). Year-over-year, the leisure and hospitality sector and the trade, transportation and utilities sector netted the most growth with 2,500 jobs and 2,400 jobs added respectively.

Unemployment in Madera County dropped .8 percentage points month-over-month to 6.4% in March. Unemployment in March 2021 was 10.8%. Two hundred jobs were added in nonfarm industries — 100 leisure and hospitality jobs, and 100 government jobs. Farm jobs decreased by 900.

Kings County unemployment dropped a full percentage point to 7.5% month-over-month, with unemployment in March 2021 registered at 11.7%.

Two hundred jobs were added in the county — 100 in leisure and hospitality, 100 in other services. Farm jobs decreased by 500 jobs.