Unemployment In Laguna Beach Falls, Hospitality Jobs On The Rise

LAGUNA BEACH, CA —The number of Orange County residents who are out of work has dropped this spring, according to the Employment Development Department.

Laguna Beach's unemployment rate was at 5.3 percent for February compared to 5.9 percent in January and 2.5 percent for the same time in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In Orange County, the March jobless rate was 6.4%, down from 6.8% in February. In the city of Anaheim, many hospitality workers who have remained furloughed or laid off will be returning to work as the county continues to reopen.

With further relaxing restrictions on counties across the state, by June 15, much of shuttered California will be back open, once again. Senate Bill 93, a new law designed to get hospitality workers of larger hotels back into their jobs —provided they worked for 6 months or more in their profession at stadiums, janitorial companies, or hotels. It is more specific legislation than a similar bill that Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed last year.

Should this bill be signed into law, workers who qualify would return to hotels with 50 or more rooms and event centers that are at least 50,000 square feet in size or have over 1,000 seats for public performances or meetings, as reported by NBC4San Diego.

Some lawmakers find this burdensome to employers. However, David Huerta, president of the SEIU United Service Workers West, says that nearly 30 percent of their union members lost their jobs during the pandemic.

Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.3% in March, down from 8.5% in February, and well above the 4.5% rate from March 2020. The comparable estimates for the nation were 6% in March, 6.2% in February and 4.5% in March 2020.

Los Angeles County's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dipped to 11.3% in March, down from a revised 11.5% in February, according to figures released Friday by the state EDD. The 11.3% rate was still well above the pre-pandemic rate of 5.4% in March 2020.

According to the EDD, total nonfarm employment in Los Angeles County increased by 34,200 jobs between February and March to reach about 4.1 million.

The leisure and hospitality sector led the way with 13,300 jobs.

How do you feel the economy is faring in your neighborhood? Are more stores, restaurants and hotels opening where you live? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or by emailing your Patch Editor.

City News Service, Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.