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Mar 23, 2008 6:57 pm US/Pacific
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California Adds 25,800 Jobs In February
LOS ANGELES (AP) ―
The end of the Hollywood writers strike helped boost state payrolls in February, when employers added a total of 25,800 jobs despite continuing losses in the construction industry, the state said Friday.
The figures reported by the Employment Development Department followed a revised loss of 29,300 jobs in January.
About 11,400 jobs were added last month in the information sector after the 100-day writers walkout ended on Feb. 12.
Even more entertainment jobs are expected to be added as production returns to normal, said Howard Roth, chief economist for California Department of Finance.
"They'll probably come back over time," he said. "This may be the first installment."
Hollywood employment also is picking up as studios bank TV and movie productions amid fears that the Screen Actors Guild will strike after its contract expires June 30, experts said.
"This is a big black cloud hanging over the industry," said Jack Kyser, chief economist of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.
The writers strike cost Los Angeles County an estimated $2.5 billion, he said.
The job increases in California came as total U.S. payrolls fell by 63,000 in February.
California's hospitality and leisure industries added 4,600 jobs last month, likely because a weak dollar brought international visitors to California, Kyser said.
Over the month, a total of 35,400 jobs were gained in the trade, transportation, information, professional services, education and health, leisure, and government sectors.
About 9,600 jobs were lost in construction, financial activities and manufacturing because of the continuing problems in the housing sector. The financial sector accounted for the biggest drop of 3,500 jobs.
Christopher Thornberg, principal of consulting firm Beacon Economics LLC, discounted the February bump in employment as a one-time event related to the writers strike.
Thornberg expected the final February numbers to be revised downward.
"We are a state that is in a recession, and there still seems to be some denial as to that fact," he said.
About 15.17 million people held nonfarm payroll jobs in California last month, down from the peak of 15.19 million set in July.
The unemployment rate in the state was 5.7 percent in February, down from 5.9 percent in January. The rate in February 2007 was 5.0 percent.
The national unemployment rate was 4.8 percent last month.
In California, there were 1.04 million unemployed people in February, down about 40,000 from a month earlier. The number of employed people was unchanged last month at about 17.22 million.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)