The California Employment Development Department released some interesting statistics for Humboldt County this past week. The below figures represent statistics for May of 2008.
| 2008 | May | Total Wage and Salary | 50,400 |
| 2008 | May | Total Nonfarm | 49,000 |
| 2008 | May | Service Providing | 43,400 |
| 2008 | May | Total Private | 34,600 |
| 2008 | May | Residual-Private Services Providing | 29,000 |
| 2008 | May | Government | 14,400 |
| 2008 | May | State and Local Government | 13,700 |
| 2008 | May | Local Government | 10,400 |
| 2008 | May | Trade, Transportation and Utilities | 9,800 |
| 2008 | May | Retail Trade | 7,300 |
So, what do these numbers tell us? Government jobs represent about 30% of the total workforce in Humboldt County. Unfortunately, the survey does not take into account those employed by non-profits and other entities that receive part or most of their funding from various government agencies and tax breaks from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you toss-in the number of unemployed, those receiving some type of government benefits, those working for non-profits, etc. the number is probably well over 50%. Since the population of Humboldt County is around 110,000, this would mean that 20% of the population (and the taxes they pay) are supporting the other 80% of the population.
Obviously, that number does not include children, who are by definition, dependents. Still, this number shows the overwhelming tax burden placed upon those employed by private businesses. If you take into account that those on the very low end of employment pay scales are probably exempt from many taxes, you will find the tax burden upon the middle class of Humboldt County is getting beyond the breaking point.
The good news? About the only good news the EDD had to report this month is that Humboldt County has about the same unemployment rate as the rest of the state. On the flipside though, the average job in Humboldt County probably pays substantially less than the average job in other parts of the state. A job that pays perhaps $12 an hour in Eureka might pay $25 an hour in San Diego. Although it may be more expensive to rent or buy a home in San Diego (just an example), mortgage rates here are the same, as are tax percentages, government fees and permits and other things that have to be accounted into everyone’s cost of living.
All in all, Humboldt County is becoming a very expensive place to live. With a sharp decline in new homes being built, the cost of living is not likely to drop anytime soon, nor are any of the jobs Humboldt has lost in past decade likely to come back. This paints a fairly bleak outlook for those living here, but things could always turn around.
Topics: county, economy, EDD, employers, employment, government, humboldt, humboldt county, job, jobs, private, taxes, unemployment