The Inland Empire’s unemployment rate rose to 5.7% in July, up from a revised 5.4% in June, according to seasonally adjusted figures from Inland Economic Growth and Opportunity (IEGO). The increase mirrors statewide and national trends, with both California and the U.S. reporting slight upticks in joblessness last month.
State Employment Development Department (EDD) data, which is not adjusted for seasonal patterns, shows the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area at 6.4% unemployment in July. Redlands recorded a 5.2% rate, according to the same unadjusted data. The historical trend in raw figures is shown in the chart below.
In the Inland Empire, an additional 8,700 people joined the labor force last month, bringing the total civilian labor force in Riverside and San Bernardino counties to 2.24 million. Despite the larger pool of job seekers, regional employers shed 10,600 nonfarm jobs between June and July, a 0.6% decline. That drop was slightly steeper than the average July decrease of 0.5% seen over the past four years.
Six industries posted job gains last month, led by transportation and warehousing (+2,800), administrative and support services (+1,800), and health care and social assistance (+1,200). Accommodation and food services also grew modestly, adding 400 jobs.
Losses were concentrated in government employment, which fell by 14,500 positions—mostly in local education as schools entered their summer recess. Construction (-500), private educational services (-1,000), and other services (-400) also declined.
Excluding government, the region actually gained 3,900 jobs across the private sector. Health care remained the Inland Empire’s largest employer, accounting for more than 17% of all jobs. Transportation showed signs of stabilization after six straight months of contraction, buoyed by increased port traffic in Los Angeles and Long Beach. Until July’s gains, the industry had shed about 26,000 jobs in the first half of the year.
Year over year, Inland Empire payrolls were still up by 17,000 jobs compared with July 2024.
