Unemployment rate in Imperial County declines

Although Imperial County is one of the most unemployed parts of the country, the unemployment rate for the county has dropped three percent from this time last year, from 20 percent to 17 percent.

We spoke to Meredith Garcia, director of Imperial Valley Small Business Development Center, who says it’s all due to the efforts of many agencies in the area. Garcia said, “What I can tell about the 17 percent, is the effort that the county and the city is working together with different agencies. As the Imperial Valley economic corporations, with the workforce development board, and the Imperial Valley small business development center, to work together and have a synergy to help our business community. To provide and create more jobs.”

Garcia also says that the decrease in unemployment is in part due to residents creating their own small businesses. “But it’s one of the things we have seen during this year. Is trying to have more entrepreneur and more people looking for opening their business in order to create jobs for themselves, have an income source for their families for their business and for other people here at the Imperial County.”

Garcia believes that another reason is support for businesses from the city and better infrastructure. “They are having different programs implemented to help out their business environmental infrastructure being released and also strength with local business owners,” Garcia said.

Garcia hopes the unemployment rate continues to decline as small businesses continue to grow which will create more jobs.