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By Jonathan Friedman
Associate Editor
May 1, 2017 -- Santa Monica ended the first quarter of 2017 with an unemployment rate of 3.7 percent, according to preliminary statistics released by the California Employment Development Department (EDD).
This was the lowest the unemployment rate has been at this point of the year since 2010, which is the earliest year data are immediately available.
The March unemployment rate for previous years was 4.4 percent in 2016, 6.0 percent in 2015, 7.3 percent in 2014, 8.4 percent in 2013, 9.5 percent in 2012, 10.3 percent in 2011 and 10.6 percent in 2010.
This city’s March unemployment rate was below the national rate of 4.5 percent as well as the rates in Los Angeles County (4.3 percent) and California (4.9 percent).
Santa Monica’s unemployment rate has been steadily dropping in 2017, falling from 4.3 percent in January and 4.1 percent in February.
Since the March data are preliminary, these comparisons could change slightly once the information is finalized.
There were 2,100 people designated as unemployed in Santa Monica during March, which the EDD defines as “individuals who were not working, but were able, available and actively looking for work.”
Santa Monica’s unemployment rate is based upon the people who live here, regardless of where they work. The EDD does not make seasonal adjustments for the data.
Santa Monica tied for 54th on the list of unemployment rates in Los Angeles County’s 124 cities and unincorporated census-designated areas, with No. 1 having the lowest rate.
Los Angeles County’s highest unemployment rate was in the census-designated area of Willowbrook with 7.7 percent. The city with the highest unemployment rate was Compton with 6.8 percent.
The city of Palos Verdes Estates had the county’s lowest unemployment rate with 0.7 percent.
Other notable unemployment rates in the county were the city of Los Angeles with 4.6 percent, Malibu with 2.5 percent, Manhattan Beach with 1.7 percent, Redondo Beach with 2.6 percent and West Hollywood with 3.6 percent.
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