California’s hospitality industry adds jobs in May, but construction lost more than any other sector

California’s overall job market is lagging behind the national recovery

California added more than 100,000 jobs for the fourth month in a row, bringing employment up to 16.35 million jobs. (iStock)
California added more than 100,000 jobs for the fourth month in a row, bringing employment up to 16.35 million jobs. (iStock)

The California job market was a mixed bag in May with some industries showing large employment gains and others continuing to shrink post-pandemic.

California added more than 100,000 jobs for the fourth month in a row, bringing employment up to 16.35 million jobs, according to the Los Angeles Times.

There’s a long way to go to pre-pandemic levels — employers have added back just 51.8 percent of the 2.7 million jobs lost in March and April 2020.

The state’s leisure and hospitality industry added 62,300 jobs, more than any other industry, but overall employment is still down 517,000 from before coronavirus.

The pandemic saw hotels shutter across the country and occupancy plummet.

Some prominent L.A. hotels traded hands and some closed entirely, including the Standard in West Hollywood.

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Construction and permitting slowed significantly last year. The pace appears to be picking up, but there are still fewer construction jobs to go around.

The 1,600 jobs lost in the construction sector last month was more than any other sector. The losses were mostly in commercial construction.

L.A. County’s unemployment rate was flat in May from a month prior at 11.1 percent, compared to the national rate of 5.8 percent.

The statewide rate was 7.9 percent, down slightly from 8 percent a month earlier. That rate was 4.3 percent in February 2020 and peaked at 16 percent in April 2020.

Scott Anderson, an economist with Bank of the West in San Francisco, said that a full labor market recovery in California “is still likely several years away.”

[LAT] — Dennis Lynch