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Unemployment in Taft is about average for Kern County and better than some Kern cities.
But it is still very high and more than one out of eight local people who can work are out of work.
The unemployment rate for Taft in May was 13. 8 percent, according to figures released late last week by the California Employment Development Department.
Kern County as a whole had an unemployment rate of 14.2 percent, according to the EDD.
Unemployment countywide and in Taft is down from the April, according to the EDD, but at the same time are up sharply from a year ago when skyrocketing oil prices fueled a boom in hiring in the oil industry.
Taft’s unemployment peaked at 15.9 in April, the EDD said, and has since dropped by more than a full percentage point.
But that’s little consolation to the several hundred people out of work in the Taft area.
Maricopa has an even higher unemployment rate at 15.6 percent.
Other comparable sized Kern cities have fared much worse than Taft, while some are actually doing quite well considering the state of the economy.
Arvin’s unemployment rate is 35.5 percent; Wasco’s is 25.4 percent and Shafter is at 24.5 percent.
Communities in the mountains and desert are doing much better.
Tehachapi has a jobless rate of 9.5 percent and Ridgecrest is at 8.2 percent.
Bakersfield has an unemployment rate of 10 percent.
Unemployment in Taft is about average for Kern County and better than some Kern cities.
But it is still very high and more than one out of eight local people who can work are out of work.
The unemployment rate for Taft in May was 13. 8 percent, according to figures released late last week by the California Employment Development Department.
Kern County as a whole had an unemployment rate of 14.2 percent, according to the EDD.
Unemployment countywide and in Taft is down from the April, according to the EDD, but at the same time are up sharply from a year ago when skyrocketing oil prices fueled a boom in hiring in the oil industry.
Taft’s unemployment peaked at 15.9 in April, the EDD said, and has since dropped by more than a full percentage point.
But that’s little consolation to the several hundred people out of work in the Taft area.
Maricopa has an even higher unemployment rate at 15.6 percent.
Other comparable sized Kern cities have fared much worse than Taft, while some are actually doing quite well considering the state of the economy.
Arvin’s unemployment rate is 35.5 percent; Wasco’s is 25.4 percent and Shafter is at 24.5 percent.
Communities in the mountains and desert are doing much better.
Tehachapi has a jobless rate of 9.5 percent and Ridgecrest is at 8.2 percent.
Bakersfield has an unemployment rate of 10 percent.
