The unemployment rate in the City of Santa Clarita has experienced a 144.8 percent increase in unemployment since January 2020, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In October 2020, Santa Clarita reported an unemployment rate of 10.7 percent, which while down from the pandemic peak of 20.3 percent in April 2020, is still significantly higher than the unemployment rate of 3.9 percent in Oct. 2019.

The data is somewhat impacted by the fact that the BLS failed to classify people on temporary layoffs as unemployed. A recent study from financial observer WalletHub reported an adjusted unemployment rate of 11.16 percent in Santa Clarita for October.

Since its peak in April, the overall level of unemployment has steadily declined in Santa Clarita, but not yet down to levels seen prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the onset of the pandemic a number of Santa Clarita’s top employers have had to announce layoffs and furloughs, including Six Flags Magic Mountain, Princess Cruises and Henry Mayo Hospital, among others.

In October, Magic Mountain parent company Six Flags Entertainment Corp. announced it would reduce its full-time workforce by 240 employees cumulatively across its 26 locations.

Santa Clarita’s second-largest employer, Princess Cruises implemented a combination of layoffs, furloughs, reduced work schedules and pay reductions at its shoreside office locally as well as in Seattle in May.

“Because we are not generating revenue, we took these difficult but important expense reduction measures to ensure the company can continue to navigate this difficult period,” Princess said in a statement. “Our employees are the foundation of our success and these decisions were not made based on the performance of these very talented individuals.”

Related: Layoffs, Furloughs Announced For Santa Clarita Princess Cruises Office

The company did not provide specific numbers of employees impacted at that time.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital nurses came together in June to protest layoffs and the hospital’s policy for the distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) to staff.

At that time, the hospital had reportedly laid off 35 nurses and 59 ancillary staff, according to a registered nurse at Henry Mayo.

That same month, the William S. Hart Union School District Governing Board approved 22 “reduction in force” notices, or RIFs, for district classified staff.

Some of the positions included in the RIFs were already vacant, and could be phased out to minimize the number of people who would lose their livelihoods, according to district officials, however, Dr. Michael Vierra, assistant superintendent of human resources for the Hart District, could not confirm the exact number of people who might be laid off at that time. 

While the situation appeared to at least be improving, business concerns are on the rise once again with the COVID restrictions increasing across California as the number of cases surges.

The effect on the restaurant industry remains to be seen, as many establishments had spent time and money to create outdoor dining options, only for Los Angeles County officials to recently re-establish a temporary ban on customers dining in.

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