Who’s hiring in the Sacramento region? These 8 charts show job sectors recovering, lagging

The four-county Sacramento region added thousands of jobs last month as the pandemic receded and shutdowns ended, but the recovery is uneven as some sectors thrive and others languish, according to the latest figures from the state Employment Development Department.

In May 2019, about 1,055,000 workers held jobs in the Sacramento area, giving the region a historically low unemployment rate of 3.2%.

The region shed about 135,000 of those jobs by May 2020 as pandemic shutdowns bit hard and the unemployment rate rose to 14%.

Last month, about 1,015,000 workers held jobs in the Sacramento region, and the unemployment rate stood at 6.3%.

Here’s a look at the job sectors recovering fastest — and slowest — relative to May 2019.

Construction sector is healthy

Construction workers are leading the jobs recovery in the Sacramento area.

About 75,100 people held construction jobs in Sacramento last month, the highest number since the housing boom more than 15 years ago.

A lack of supply is partly fueling the price increases. So is demand for building specialists and contractors who can help with home repair and improvement projects.

Restaurants are still hurting

Pandemic shutdowns slammed restaurants across the region and state, causing many of them to close.

About 61,300 Sacramento workers held restaurant jobs last month, down by 16,600, or 21%, from May 2019.

Many Sacramento-area restaurant owners say they are having trouble finding workers. Some economic experts blame relatively generous unemployment benefits, relatively low wages, and a hesitancy to return to work in tight spaces in the wake of a pandemic for the shortage.

Arts, entertainment and recreation still down

The arts, entertainment and recreation sector was hit harder than almost any other in the Sacramento region during the pandemic. From May 2019 to May 2020, it shed 10,700 jobs, a decline of 62%.

Theaters, gyms and arenas are only now beginning to reopen. About 10,600 workers held jobs in the industry last month, roughly 6,600 fewer than in May 2019.

State government is doing fine (except colleges)

California has a record budget surplus. And last month, before much of that surplus could even be spent, the Sacramento region had more state workers than ever.

The state government workforce in Sacramento was one of the few local job sectors that did not shrink even during the worst of the pandemic.

About 95,900 workers held state government jobs in the Sacramento region in May, up by 4,700 from May 2019. Those figures exclude local colleges and universities (more on them in a second).

Local government hasn’t recovered

Cities, counties, special districts and school districts shrunk a lot during the pandemic, and they still have not completely recovered.

About 56,000 workers held jobs in public schools last month, down by 4,200, or 7%, from May 2019. Another 45,200 worked for cities, counties or special districts, down by 2,400. or 5%, from May 2019.

Local colleges recovering slowly

Like school districts, the region’s community colleges and public universities — Sacramento State and UC Davis — have been mostly closed for in-person instruction for the last 15 months.

As a result, there was less need for the support staff and others who keep campuses clean and safe. That may change in a few months as campuses begin reopening to students.

Amazon is doing great, thanks

Outside state government and construction, no sector added more jobs recently than the transportation, warehousing and utilities industry.

Amazon warehouses and fulfillment centers in Sacramento employ thousands. The company did quite well during the pandemic delivering goods to residents who wanted to avoid visiting a store. And they are hiring.

A mixed bag in retail

Some retail sales sectors are coming back strong; others continue to struggle.

Car dealerships, health and personal care stores, clothing stores, sporting goods stores and general merchandise stores employed fewer people last month than they did in May 2019. Grocery stores and hardware stores employed more people last month than they did in May 2019.

This story was originally published June 21, 2021 at 8:31 AM.