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SLO County unemployment rises with government lay offs

August 19, 2011

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

San Luis Obispo County lost 5,600 jobs in July increasing the unemployment rate from 9.9 percent in June to 10.5 percent in July, according to a report released Friday by the California Employment Development Department.

Much of last month’s bump in unemployment can be attributed to government jobs disappearing, as 5,100 public sector positions were slashed in July.

Despite San Luis Obispo County’s poor economic performance, its July unemployment rate ranked ahead of most California counties. With statewide unemployment at 12.4 percent, San Luis Obispo County posted the tenth lowest rate among California counties.

Health care continues to be the only industry showing consistent growth in the county. Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center, one of the largest private sector employers in the county, posted the most job ads among employers in July.

Likewise, the most new positions, according to job ads, were for registered nurses.

Nationally, unemployment increased slightly from 9.2 percent in June to 9.3 percent.


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The loss of 5100 bureaucrats is great news. The question that needs to be addressed is how many private sector jobs (producers) does it take to support 1 “public sector” (non producers) job? Hopefully, most were from social services and not public safety. Now, lower our local taxes accordingly. End welfare, end SSI, and deport illegals. Get rid of the hundreds of B.S. agencies that grow like a cancer on California’s future and maybe we’ll make it.


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Amen!!!


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Feel good shrugging off the cloak of political correctness? It will be harsh to some, but that’s what “tough times” are all about.


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Weimerization


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I hope they and their families feel your “joy.” I also hope the private sector people laid off from the ripple-effect, also share your joy. Other great news, since all of them will no longer being paying taxes and will need aid, your taxes will be going up instead of down.


More jobs, not more unemployment: the answer to the deficit problem.


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If 5,600 is 0.6% of X, then we simply divide 5,600 by 0.006 (which is 0.6%) and we get 933,333+ workers in the total workforce.


So if SLO county had 933,333 workers and 5,600 got laid off, that is 0.6% more out of work. So you can see why red flags went up for people who think mathematically. Granted, I am probably wrong somewhere in here, but that is how I remember solving a problem like this.


Take it with a grain of salt. (i.e. math majors help me out)


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The article is misleading in reference to the stated 5600 jobs lost.

What is missing is information regarding the number of jobs gained.

Assuming a workforce population of 100,000, a 0.6% increase in the unemployment rate means that there was a net increase of 600 people out of work (from the workforce popluation).

This article is a good example of a reporter using data to stir readers’ emotions, but not including all of the information about an issue.


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Josh, no way that math is correct. Just rough out some numbers. Say there’s about 300,000 people total in SLO county. Let’s assume they all can work. If we had 10% unemployment, 30,000 would be out of work right? Add 5,000 new unemployed to 30,000 for total unemployed of 35,000. 35.000/300,000 is at least 11% unemployment, so unemployment bumps at least 1% with the loss of 5000 jobs.


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Well, if the unemployment rate was taken from Government figures, they are guaranteed to be wrong. The government never gets any figures right! They want a specific “range” and then they will often adjust the formulas to get there.


We might freak out if the government said 1 in 3 people who WANT to work cannot find any. So to keep the natives from becoming restless, we’re massaged into whatever fantasy of depression they create.


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If the grocery strike happens, there will be temporary jobs available.


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A loss of 5600 jobs increasing the unemployment rate by .6% would mean a total workforce of 933,333 total workers in San Luis County. Don’t you mean a loss of 560 which would mean a total workforce of 93,333?


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Hey flytrap! I get that warm, fuzzy feeling when people talk math to me! Do it again! Do it again! How would I write the formula?


5600 = .6% X n ( where n = population of the county?)


If anyone knows a good Web site that teaches you basic math at no charge, I am ready to learn. I think I need to go by grade, as in first grade onward. I really mean it. I I can keep up with what ninth graders are learning at Lucia Mar, I’ll be “cookin’ with gas!”


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Oto-I think that warm fuzzy feeling you have may be a hangover. Your formula is invalid in that the unemployment rate is calculated as (directly from Wikipedia or any dictionary) a fraction of the total number of unemployed individuals divided by all individuals currently in the county labor force, not the population of the county. You do not include, or instance, babies, children and the disabled in your calculation for the unemployment rate. Thus, to put it in your terms,


5600 = .6% X n (where n=county labor force, NOT the population)


is the correct formula.


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oops….


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Hey oto, you are in luck! There is a place that wishes to teach ANYONE with an internet connection FREE math (and some other topics). Try it out, it is fantastic! Watch, practice and learn:

Learn almost anything for free at the Khan Academy.


The Khan Academy is an organization on a mission. We’re a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education to anyone anywhere.


All of the site’s resources are available to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a student, teacher, home-schooler, principal, adult returning to the classroom after 20 years, or a friendly alien just trying to get a leg up in earthly biology. The Khan Academy’s materials and resources are available to you completely free of charge.


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Hey, rOy! I’m a little late in responding, but I checked out your link. Fantastic! Thank-you so much! In the meantime, I’m gonna try and figure out how to calculate the total number of employeed people in San Luis Obispo County using Flytrap’s formula. If

5600=.6%Xn, then how many people does n represent?


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ED: Something’s wrong with the math in the first paragraph. 5600 jobs in a county our size has got to blip the number up more than six-tenths of a percent.


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A loss of 5600 jobs in SLO County would increase the County unemployment rate by more than 4% which would be over a 14% unemployment rate.


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