Bosses in Orange County added 5,600 workers in July — 28% above the year’s hiring pace, bringing employment to 98.8% of pre-pandemic levels.

My trusty spreadsheet, filled with state job figures released Friday, found local bosses had 1.66 million workers in July, up 73,400 in 12 months. However, July employment was 25,000 below February 2020, the last month before coronavirus shackled the economy. Remember, 272,300 O.C. jobs were lost in 2020’s COVID-19 lockdowns.

Job growth took an unexpected uptick as summer got in full gear. Employment was expected to stagnate as the Federal Reserve tried to cool an overheated economy while bosses struggled to fill open positions. However, July’s hiring pace in Orange County was 28% faster than the 4,383 added per month in 2022’s first six months.

It’s been wild times in the job market. In 2021, employment grew at a 7,667 monthly pace while the economy emerged from coronavirus lockdowns. Local bosses boosted staff at a 2,300 monthly pace in 2018-19 before we knew the word coronavirus.

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More jobs mean fewer are jobless. O.C.’s unemployment rate was 2.8% in July compared with 2.9% in the previous month and 6.4% a year earlier. Joblessness was 2.8% in February 2020.

The employment recovery has not been an across-the-board rebound. Let’s look at how O.C. employment fared in key industries since coronavirus landed, ranked by their recovery in job counts …

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Orange County’s retail jobs market is still 97% of its pre-pandemic tally with 143,000 workers on the payroll. (File photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Restaurants: 104% of pre-pandemic jobs   with 151,300 workers. That’s up 6,500 from February 2020 after adding 2,500 last month vs. jobs growing 2,600 monthly in the recovery.

Healthcare, personal services: 103% of pre-coronavirus jobs with 212,300 workers. That’s up 6,500 from February 2020 after adding 3,000 last month vs. jobs growing 1,100 monthly in the recovery.

Transportation/warehouses: 103% of pre-coronavirus jobs with 28,000 workers. That’s up 700 from February 2020 after dropping 300 last month vs. jobs growing 100 monthly in the recovery.

Arts, entertainment and recreation: 102% of pre-pandemic staffing with 55,800 workers. That’s up 1,200 from February 2020 after adding 3,600 last month vs. jobs growing 600 monthly in the recovery.

Business services: 102% of pre-coronavirus jobs with 333,500 workers. That’s up 5,000 from February 2020 after adding 4,100 last month vs. jobs growing 1,600 monthly in the recovery.

Construction, real estate, finance: 98% of pre-pandemic staffing with 198,500 workers. That’s down 3,200 from February 2020 after adding 3,200 last month vs. jobs growing 600 monthly in the recovery.

Manufacturing: 98% of pre-virus employment with 155,400 workers. That’s down 3,000 from February 2020 after adding 2,900 last month vs. jobs growing 400 monthly in the recovery.

Retailing: 97% of pre-virus employment with 143,000 workers. That’s down 5,100 from February 2020 after adding 400 last month vs. jobs growing 900 monthly in the recovery.

Government: With schools out on summer break, this sector is at 88% of pre-pandemic staffing with 148,200 workers. That’s down 19,800 from February 2020 after dropping 15,800 last month. Another view? 98.3% of July 2019.

Across the Southern California region in July, 7.81 million were employed —  after a 22,900 drop in the month — putting the four counties 84,800 jobs below February 2020, or 98.9% of pre-pandemic staffing. The regional unemployment rate was 4.35% in July compared with 4.48% in the previous month; 8.63% a year earlier; and 3.94% in February 2020.

Nationally, U.S. employers added a surprisingly robust 528,000 jobs in July despite warning signs of an economic downturn. Unemployment dropped to 3.5%, matching a pre-pandemic low that hadn’t been seen in a half-century. And the nation has now recovered all of the 22 million jobs lost in COVID-19 lockdowns.

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at [email protected]