Employment Prospects Rosy in County

Employment Prospects Rosy in County
By Amanda Janis/Business Editor

Solano County continues to increase its jobs, as unemployment among residents remains low, according to the data released Friday by the state's Employment Development Department.

Approximately 600 jobs were added in the county last month, bringing the total number to 134,500. Since November of last year, the EDD reported, 3,400 local jobs have been added, mostly in the professional, business, educational and health services, and government sectors.

Meanwhile, 4.6 percent of Solano residents were unemployed in November, a slight increase from October's 4.2 percent rate. Within the county, Vaca- ville and Rio Vista had the lowest unemployment rates, each at 3.3 percent.

Mike Palombo, Vaca- ville's economic development manager, praised the city's low level of unemployment, but said it's important to evaluate the types of local jobs available. Many residents commute to larger metropolitan areas because they can't find similar jobs or compensation closer to home, he said.

"Ideally we'd like to have enough jobs so that people who commute out of the area each day can find equivalent employment here in the community," he said. "We're still trying to create opportunities for everybody."

Amanda Janis can be reached at business@thereporter.com.