San Diego County’s unemployment rate in September fell back down to 4.7%—4.5% in the City of San Diego—after rising to 5% in August, according to the latest statistics from the California Employment Development Department. The EDD reported teacher hires after the summer months helped to drive the unemployment rate down. Statewide unemployment was 5.3% and it was 4.8% nationally. Point Loma Nazarene University Fermanian Business & Economic Institute chief economist Lynn Reaser told the San Diego Union-Tribune the county’s unemployment rate was 4.8% when seasonally adjusted.

Education added 5,000 jobs in September, while hospitality and leisure lost 2,200 jobs as the summer tourist season ended. San Diego County has added 30,900 jobs since September 2015, indicating a slowdown in job creation from a year ago. Approximately 40,000 jobs were created in San Diego County between January 2015 and January 2016.

Education and health services added the most jobs, 8,100, over the last 12 months. San Diego Building Trades Family Housing Corp director of planning and development Murtaza Baxamusa attributed the boost in healthcare hiring to the Affordable Care Act and the region’s aging population. The county lost 700 construction jobs in the last year.

California added 30,000 jobs last month, 19% of the nation’s 156,000 new jobs total in September. San Diego County's job growth accounted for 2.5% of new jobs added last month. [SDUT]