For those unemployed, hopeless job hunters out there like me, get ready to be even more depressed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report for April 2010, San Francisco’s rate of employment decline is greater than the national average. This is also the 20th consecutive month of over-the-year employment declines in the San Francisco area.
Breaking the figures down by industry doesn’t make it look much better. Over the last year, total nonfarm employment in the Bay Area dropped by 3.4 percent, whereas it only dropped by 1 percent for the U.S. Also in the SF Area, both government and professional and business service sectors experienced the largest employment losses, shedding 11,700 and 11,400 jobs, respectively.
Worst of all, construction industry figures are climbing down the scaffold faster than ever. Construction lost 10,100 jobs over the year – an 11.4 percent decline, compared to the 8.7 percent decline nationally.
The only industry that seems to be growing in the SF area is mining and logging with a 7.1 percent increase.
If it makes you feel any better, 11 of the 12 top metropolitan areas (Detroit, Chicago, LA, Atlanta, Miami, etc) all experienced a bigger employment decline compared with the national average. So SF is not alone. In fact, we’re all doomed.
Writing this article just had my last spark of employment hope extinguished. Time to break out the tub of ice cream and the sad movies.
