The total wage and salary employment in the Inland Empire metro area declined by 19,500 in January. This followed three consecutive months of increases totaling 12,300 jobs -- meaning that all gains of 2009Q4 were more than wiped out. January's employment figure was 6.2% below the 1/'09 level, the lowest year-over-year decline in a year. The construction sector lost another 2,000 jobs in January. Compared to its peak in 6/'06, this sector has lost 56% of its job base. The manufacturing sector lost another 700 jobs in January. Manufacturing employment was lower by 33% from its peak in 6/'06. The logistics sector lost 1,000 jobs, thanks to the end of holiday shopping-related transportation needs. Retail employment was lower by 6,100, erasing the 5,600 jobs gained in November and December.
Expect another "shock" on the job front soon. The upcoming Census, which utilizes 1.2 million temporary workers, may help drive down the national unemployment rate by up to 0.8 percentage points. Most of those workers will be released after April.
