INLAND EMPIRE – (INT) – The region’s declining jobless rate hit a bump in the road last month.

After several months of improvement, the unemployment rate lunged ahead to 6.6 percent or about the same rate as a year ago.

The May rate was 5.3 percent.

Combined, the Employment Development Department estimated the loss of 1,400 jobs in June mostly in education and government as schools shut down for the summer.

However, the Inland Empire’s job growth over the past 12 months hit 3.3 percent as 44,600 jobs were added.

Story Date: July 28, 2016