Sacramento is encountering its lowest unemployment figures in nine years. With gains in the construction industry leading the statistics in both month-over-month (an additional 2,500 jobs) and year-over-year gains (an additional 5,500 jobs). According to State Employment Development Department employee Cara Welch, “the unemployment rate in the greater Sacramento area was 4.7 percent in May, down from a revised 5.1 percent in April 2016 and below the year ago estimate of 5.7 percent.” The 4.7 percent figure is the nine-year low.
Government-related jobs are easier to find in Sacramento too. Being the State Capitol, the region is at the pivotal part of state government with the largest focus of government jobs per capita throughout California. The main industries are health care and professional services.
In addition, Sacramento was ranked the “Number 2 Happiest Place to Work” in a study discussed in Forbes in January 2015 of ‘The 10 Happiest and Unhappiest Places to Work in Right Now,’ from CareerBliss’ investigation of eight principal factors which influence a worker’s contentment. These are:
- Employee-employer/co-worker relationship
- Compensation
- Promotional opportunities
- Resources
- General work environment
- Company culture
- Work-life balance
- Day-to-day control of actual job.
Interestingly, Sacramento did NOT make CareerBliss’ 2016 list, despite the high employment figures this year has shown.