October Employment

As of last month, according to California’s Employment Development Department, the number of people employed in San Diego was up 1 percent from a year prior. This may not sound like much, but it’s actually quite a showing considering the drag that the housing downturn has inflicted upon the job market for most of this year.

The construction and finance/real estate sectors, which have borne the brunt of the post-housing bubble damage, were still smaller than in October 2006. However, the formerly languishing retail sector surged by 1.5 percent in a single month with the addition of 1,900 jobs. After having been shrinking for much of the year, the retail industry ended up 1.3 percent larger than a year prior. San Diegans are apparently still spending money after all.

Outside the construction, finance, and retail sectors, employment grew by 17,200 jobs or 1.7 percent. The region added 13,200 jobs in total, an increase of 1.0 percent.

— RICH TOSCANO

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