Unemployment keeps rising in Imperial County due to COVID-19
EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - This past week 3 million people filed for unemployment, bringing the total average for the country to 33 million.
On average Imperial County's unemployment rate is around 16 percent four times the state average. In March the U.S. Census Bureau reported the valley's rate at 20.5 percent.
That's almost a five percent increase compared to the same time last year.
And the rate is expected to jump again once April's numbers are released.
President and CEO of Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation Timothy Kelly says that many small businesses have let more than half of their staff go in order to keep their business afloat.
“Assisting retails and service industry like restaurants have reduced their staff probably about 80."
Kelly says that our unemployment rate is also increasing because the agricultural workers are now filing for unemployment because its the end of the winter and spring harvest of crops.
“But at the same time we have all the restaurants we should see probably double of what we usually have and this time o the year it's at 20 percent into the 30s.”
The California unemployment rolls have seen a jump of 4.3 million people just since March 12. It is estimated about 20 percent of the state is unemployed.
In Wednesday's briefing, California Governor Gavin Newsom described the unemployment rate as depression-era numbers not just for the state of California but for the whole country. Newsom does believe the state of California will bounce back however it will take time.
