RIVERSIDE - Losses throughout the regional economy pushed Riverside County's unemployment rate higher at the start of the year, according to figures released today by the California Employment Development Department.
The countywide jobless rate in January, based on preliminary EDD estimates, was 4.5%, compared to 3.8% in December.
The EDD posted the data outside of its usual schedule due to an annual statistical revision process done in concert with the U.S. Department of Labor known as "benchmarking,'' which is intended to improve accuracy of results. The process will wrap up later this month, at which point the February jobless figures also will be released.
According to figures, the January 2023 rate was more than one percentage point lower than the year-ago level, when countywide un
