San Diego added 12,200 jobs in October, with most sectors showing growth except for manufacturing.

Education, health services, and retail hiring for the holidays were the main drivers.

The unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.7%, up from 4.6% in September, still above the national average of 3.9% but lower than California's 5.4%.

Government jobs, primarily in education, led the way with 3,800 new positions. Other sectors seeing gains included transportation and utilities (2,400 jobs), private education and health services (2,200 jobs), and professional services (1,300 jobs). Manufacturing, however, lost 1,000 jobs, and the information sector remained flat.

The rise in unemployment is partly due to an expanding labor force, which now stands at 1.59 million, a slight decrease from last year but a recovery from early 2024 losses.

Experts point to a steady economy, with low unemployment and inflation suggesting a "soft landing" for the region.

In the past year, private education and health services saw the biggest growth, adding 12,000 jobs, mostly in social assistance and healthcare. Manufacturing lost the most jobs overall, with 4,500 positions gone.

The highest number of job postings in October were for retail salespeople, followed by nurses and tech jobs. Top employers included UC San Diego, Scripps Health, and Apple.

Compared to other California counties, San Diego’s unemployment rate of 4.7% is middle-of-the-pack, with Los Angeles at 6.1% and San Francisco at 3.7%.