San Diego County's unemployment rate has gone from 3.3% before the coronavirus pandemic to roughly 20.6%, according to a new analysis from the San Diego Association of Governments.
The agency compiled estimated unemployment rates by zip code as of mid-April, finding Logan Heights has the highest rate at 26.5%. Other historically disadvantaged communities such as San Ysidro, National City, City Heights and Encanto were also among the hardest hit.
But even wealthier neighborhoods are seeing record high unemployment — Scripps Ranch and La Jolla are experiencing jobless rates of 17.3% and 17.8%, respectively, according to the analysis.
SANDAG chief economist Ray Major said the tourism sector, with jobs in hotels, entertainment and high-end restaurants, has had the most dramatic losses. And with business travel at a virtual standstill for the foreseeable future, he doesn’t expect a quick recovery.
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"Businesses usually look at business travel to conventions as kind of discretionary travel anyway, so you're not going to send your people if you're going to put them into risk," Major said. "We're going to see probably a year, year and a half for the tourism industry here in San Diego to come back to where it was before."
Downtown San Diego, with its high concentration of jobs related to business travel and hospitality, has seen the highest number of layoffs. Mission Valley has also suffered greatly, with many retail outlets and restaurants that serve the neighborhood's many office parks shutting down.
Sorrento Valley, with jobs in tech, health care and education, has proved to be more resilient to the pandemic's disruptions, as has Kearny Mesa with its industrial and manufacturing jobs.
Major said while some sectors of the economy will recover more quickly than others, the job losses are likely nearing their peak.
"Almost everybody who is going to be let go because of the lockdown orders has probably already filed for unemployment," he said. "So in April we should be seeing the bottom or some of the worst numbers, maybe early May."
