San Luis Obispo, CA -- Growth in government jobs, construction, and professional and management positions helped offset losses in other sectors of San Luis Obispo County employment during the third quarter, according to data from the state and a firm that tracks the local economy.
According to Los Angeles-based Beacon Economics, State and local government — the largest category in the local jobs market — added a seasonally adjusted 1,000 jobs during September alone. That sector added 2,200 workers since a July trough, growing 12.5 percent to roughly 19,800 workers locally.

The Tribune reports that, for all of 2011, local-government employment alone has soared a seasonally adjusted 31.5 percent, despite many agencies announcing job cuts because of shrinking tax and other revenue. According to Beacon’s seasonal adjustment of state Employment Development Department data, even with the more recent gains, state and local government employment is still 2.5 percent lower than it was a year ago.