California, Oregon and Washington have some of the nation’s highest jobless rates

[andhra_jp]

Janitors and teachers, and restaurants and dry cleaners in California, Oregon, and Washington are feeling the cooling effects of tens of thousands of tech layoffs and other cost-cutting measures since the middle of last year.The results include higher unemployment, falling wages, pinched state budgets and slower job growth.

“Technology is what has driven a lot of the weakness recently but it’s beyond that,” said Scott Anderson, chief economist for Bank of the West in San Francisco.
He noted downturns in construction and housing. He said tech jobs might not rebound in the region to previous highs, which has ripple effects through the West Coast.

The Federal Reserve’s interest-rate increases to fight high inflation have cooled demand for big-ticket purchases, such as homes, industrial machinery and household appliances. As a result, payrolls in finance, manufacturing and retail have stagnated.

Fewer white-collar workers in San Francisco’s financial district means Carina Nuñez is earning less money as a janitorial worker.
Nuñez’s hours have been cut, and as a result her weekly pay of about $600 is roughly 50% lower than a few years ago.
She has cleaned the office of an e-commerce company for many years and recalls when she waded through crowds to arrive at work.
“There were many more people then, now there aren’t,” Nuñez said. “It’s very lonely.”

The economic downturn is hammering California’s state budget.Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office in May estimated the state’s budget deficit at $32 billion, $10 billion wider than estimated in January—and a sharp reversal after a historic $102 billion surplus in the past two fiscal years.

Oregon faces a similar crunch from tech company trouble. Intel, among the state’s largest employers, canceled a planned $700 million expansion and announced layoffs and pay cuts.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/west-coast-states-rode-the-tech-boom-now-they-face-higher-unemployment-falling-wages-83318105?mod=hp_lead_pos9

[Naakendukuu]

[Manishican]

May be few places but overall job market very strong.