Yuba City metro area ranked third for unemployment

Federal figures place the Yuba City metro area among the top five cities in the United States for unemployment, says the website 24/7 WallSt.com, which adds that construction jobs here have boomed.

Yuba City is third among a trio of cities in the West with agriculture-based economies. El Centro is second and Yuma, Ariz., first in unemployment, according to Bureau of Labor statistics.

Many farm-related jobs are seasonal and unemployment rates reflect that, the website notes.

November unemployment in the local metro area is 15.8 percent, a drop from 16.6 percent the same month in 2011.

Construction is helping to drive the improvement, according to the website, which states that analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America shows construction employment in the Yuba City metropolitan area rose 24 percent between August 2011 and August 2012, more than all metro areas in the country.

The Yuba City metro area includes Yuba and Sutter counties, and its cities.

Darin Gale, economic development director for Yuba City, said few large employers are in the municipality, which also lacks a trained, educated work force.

Yuba City's economic development plan seeks to address job-related issues, he said. Yuba City has a strong small business community, he added. Most employers have fewer than 10 workers, Gale said.

Retaining and expanding local business is a key aim of the city, he said.

Merced also made the list of the five metro areas in the country with the highest unemployment.

CONTACT Ryan McCarthy at rmccarthy@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4780. Find him on Facebook at /ADrmccarthy or on Twitter at @ADrmccarthy.