The improvement was reflected across Riverside and San Bernardino counties, where hiring gains helped lower the number of residents counted as unemployed. The new figures point to continued demand for workers in parts of the regional economy, particularly in fields tied to education and health services, hospitality, government, construction, and trade-related work.

Labor data for the Inland Empire is closely watched because the two-county area has one of Southern California’s largest workforces and includes major logistics, health care, retail, education and public-sector employers.

While the lower rate is a positive sign for job seekers, local economists and workforce officials typically caution that month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal hiring patterns, school schedules and shifts in consumer spending.

For communities in Riverside County, the report suggests that employers are still adding positions even as households continue to face pressure from housing, transportation and other living costs.

The post Inland Empire Job Market Improves as Hiring Picks Up appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The fire threatened the former Santa Susana Field Laboratory, a hilltop property outside the San Fernando Valley that was once used for nuclear and rocket testing. The site has been the subject of long-running cleanup concerns because of radioactive and chemical contamination left from decades of research and industrial activity.

Air monitoring was initiated as a precaution while crews worked to assess potential risks from smoke and fire activity near the property. Officials have not reported in the source article that contamination was released, but the location of the fire drew attention from nearby residents and environmental advocates who have pushed for stronger oversight of the site.

Wildfires burning near industrial or contaminated land can create added public health concerns because smoke may carry particles from burned vegetation, structures or soil. The situation underscores the broader challenges facing communities across Southern California, where dry conditions and wind-driven fires can quickly affect sensitive locations. Residents throughout the Inland Empire are familiar with similar wildfire-related air quality concerns during major regional fire events.

Authorities urged people near the affected area to follow official updates and heed any evacuation or health advisories. Residents with respiratory conditions, older adults and families with young children are generally advised to limit outdoor activity when smoke is present and to check local air quality information during active fires.

The Sandy Fire response remained focused on containing the blaze and monitoring conditions around the former lab site. Additional information was expected from fire officials and environmental agencies as assessments continued.

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    An April report released by the California Health Care Foundation found that Riverside and San Bernardino counties continue to lag slightly behind much of California in overall health outcomes, income levels and access to medical care, even as the region has made progress in expanding physician availability.

    The nonprofit foundation, which focuses on improving healthcare access across California, reported that about four in every 10 Inland Empire residents are insured through Medi-Cal, California’s version of the federal Medicaid program serving low-income and disabled residents.

    That translates to roughly 1.88 million people — a population large enough to cover more than two-thirds of the city of Chicago.

    The report also found that 8% of Inland Empire residents remained uninsured in 2023, compared to the statewide average of 6.4%.

    Healthcare officials say the region’s heavy dependence on Medi-Cal leaves local hospitals and healthcare providers especially vulnerable to federal Medicaid funding reductions approved last year.

    Researchers warned those cuts could threaten recent gains made in improving healthcare access throughout the Inland Empire.

    Health outcomes in the region also continue to trail statewide averages in several categories.

    According to the report, approximately 16% of Inland residents described their health as fair or poor, slightly higher than California’s statewide average of 15.5%.

    The Inland Empire’s infant mortality rate was also higher than the state average, with 5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births compared to California’s rate of 4.1 per 1,000.

    Economic disparities remain another challenge tied closely to healthcare access. The report found the Inland Empire’s median household income sits roughly $10,000 below the statewide average, while fewer local households earn more than $100,000 annually compared to the rest of California.

    One area showing improvement is physician availability.

    Between 2015 and 2023, the number of primary care doctors per 100,000 Inland residents increased by 20%, while specialty physician numbers climbed 38%.

    Even with that growth, the Inland Empire still falls well short of the statewide average when it comes to physician availability. The region currently has about 229 doctors per 100,000 residents, compared to California’s average of 358 physicians per 100,000 people.

    The report also highlighted gaps in representation within the medical field itself. While Latinos make up more than half of the population in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, only about 10% of doctors practicing in the Inland Empire are Latino.

    UC Riverside School of Medicine has been working to address the physician shortage since opening in 2013. School officials say the strategy has focused heavily on recruiting students with local ties in hopes they will remain in the region long term.

    Dr. Daniel Teraguchi, executive associate dean for student affairs at the medical school, said 80% of incoming students have connections to the Inland Empire. He added that 51% of students who match with residency programs are staying in the region to complete their training.

    “Because they’re training here, it’s likely those future doctors will stay in the Inland Empire,” Teraguchi said.

    The report also examined hospitals throughout the region. Researchers found the Inland Empire’s healthcare market remains relatively competitive compared to other parts of California, with roughly 40 hospitals serving the two-county area.

    However, the region still has fewer hospital beds available than the statewide average. The Inland Empire averages about 173 beds per 100,000 residents, compared to California’s statewide average of 198 beds per 100,000.

    Researchers noted that while many hospitals remain financially stable, several are facing mounting economic pressure and have already begun reducing services, including maternity care programs.

    Public hospitals continue to play a major role in the region’s healthcare safety net, particularly Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley and Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton.

    Michelle Decker, president and CEO of the Inland Empire Community Foundation, said the report accurately reflects both the progress and ongoing concerns facing healthcare providers in the region.

    “It captures how current federal policies clearly threaten those gains without providing any new ideas or money to improve the health of IE residents,” Decker said in an email statement.

    Decker called for increased public investment, stronger collaboration and innovative partnerships between hospitals, businesses, nonprofits, governments and community organizations.

    “We won’t weather this moment if we work in silos, and we need innovation to come from all corners,” she said.

    She warned that without action, Inland Empire residents could face setbacks in healthcare access at a time when many families are already struggling financially.

    “It’s clear from the data that the people who live in the IE cannot afford to see a steep slide backwards in health care,” Decker said.

The post New Report Highlights Healthcare Challenges Facing Inland Empire Residents appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

MAIL DELIVERY: Mail will not be delivered Monday.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS: Will be closed Monday.

STORES: Most major stores and supermarkets will be open Monday.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:

Riverside Transit Agency, Dial-A-Ride buses will not operate on Monday. The administrative offices and the Customer Information Center will also be closed. Bus services and facilities will resume regular operations on Tuesday.

Omnitrans buses will not operate on Monday. Administrative offices and the San Bernardino Transit Center will also be closed Monday. Bus service and facilities will resume regular operations on Tuesday.

Foothill Transit buses will run on weekend or Sunday schedules on Monday. All Transit Stores will be closed. Service at 800-RIDE-INFO will be available 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Metrolink trains operate on a weekend schedule for the Antelope Valley, Inland Empire-Orange County, Orange County, San Bernardino, Ventura County and 91/Perris Valley Lines. The Riverside Line does not operate on weekends.

The $10 Holiday Pass can be purchased on the Metrolink Mobile App or at Metrolink station ticket machines under “special ticket options.” The $10 Holiday Pass allows for unlimited rides throughout the system for the day

Amtrak Rail 2 Rail and Codeshare will be suspended May 22-26.

SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES: Not in session.

TRASH PICKUP: City of Riverside, city of Redlands, Burrtec Solid Waste, Waste Management of the Inland Empire, CR&R and CAL Disposal will not have service on Monday; service will be delayed by one day. Riverside County and San Bernardino County landfills will be closed Sunday and Monday.

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The controversy began in late April, when members of the Temecula Valley High School water polo team attended a baseball game between swim meets.

While cheering on their classmates, the boys, who had painted the letters B-E-A-R-S on their chests, dropped their pants to reveal school-colored brown and yellow swimwear.

A photo of the moment was posted on the baseball team’s Instagram account with the caption “Our fans > better than yours. GO BEARS,” The Press-Enterprise reported.

The post caught the attention of Temecula Valley Unified School District Board President Dr. Joseph Komrosky and board member Jennifer Wiersma, both part of the board’s conservative majority elected in late 2022.

“Speaking of dress code…are our teams now an ‘OnlyFans’ crew? Hats off to the kids that kept their pants on,” Wiersma wrote in an Instagram story that reposted the image, though with black covering the boys’ swimsuits.

Wiersma later apologized, saying that she hadn’t understood the circumstances of the swimsuit display.

Komrosky took to his own Instagram account, writing that if the water polo players wanted to support the baseball team, they should do so while looking like professionals.

“My concern is that I do not want them to look like they’re in a sexually provocative strip tease, looking like they’re one step close to the Chippendales,” he wrote. “We don’t need that in our school district, in our community.”

While some comments on his post agreed with the sentiment, Instagram user Stephanie Berry pushed back, writing, “If this is the jump, you shouldn’t be around kids. As a parent, it looks like swim boys being silly and supporting friends. I’ll pray for your deviant minds,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

Sharon Sardina, whose 17-year-old son was in the photo, said she was furious when she learned about the school board members’ comments. She and her husband, Brian Sardina, are now calling for the two board members to resign.

“It’s flat out sexual harassment no matter how you look at it,” Brian told KTLA’s Chris Wolfe. “What if those were females? This would be a totally different subject as well.”

Sharon said that if a teacher was to talk about a student in the way the board members did, they would be placed on a leave of absence until everything was investigated.

“I think sexualizing these minors is wrong in so many ways,” she told KTLA.

At a May 12 school board meeting, Sharon submitted a public comment calling for the resignations of Wiersma and Komrosky. She urged board members to recognize the seriousness of their remarks and said the incident underscored why many parents in the district feel they cannot trust the board’s leadership.

“For the last two weeks, I have watched son carry the weight of comments made by adults,” she told board members.

In a statement to KTLA about the incident, Komrosky said:

“A few young men from our TVHS Water Polo team were supporting their fellow baseball team and posed in a picture on a parent-sponsored page associated with TVHS. I thought it was inappropriate and that their attire didn’t align with the district’s dress code administrative regulation.  As a result, the site admin spoke with the students, removed the post, and reminded them of our current dress code. That said, in showing their team spirit to other students, I’m sure these are amazing kids and that they didn’t intend to cause harm with this post.  In the end, I would encourage them to “dress for success,” as they will be our future leaders when they leave TVUSD.”

Wiersma also provided KTLA with a statement, saying:

“I support the administration’s decision to remove the photo in question and stand behind our ongoing efforts to ensure all district-affiliated social media platforms remain aligned with TVUSD’s established policies and community standards.”

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Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling announced the Ventura facility will permanently close on July 10, ending a 114-year run in the city and impacting dozens of workers, according to company filings and published reports.

The closure will affect 85 employees, though the company said most workers are expected to be reassigned to other Southern California locations.

“We regularly assess our locations, products and services to ensure we can continue driving sustainable growth and innovation across our business,” a company spokesperson told SFGATE.

The shutdown marks the end of one of Ventura’s oldest industrial operations.

Coca-Cola first opened a bottling operation in Ventura in 1912, later relocating several times over the decades as the business expanded.

By the 1950s, local newspapers described Ventura’s soda bottling industry as booming, with Coca-Cola and Nehi plants capable of producing thousands of cases of soft drinks each day.

The Ventura closure appears to be part of a broader consolidation effort by Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, which has shuttered multiple California facilities in recent years.

Operations from the Ventura plant are expected to be transferred to other Southern California distribution centers.

The company filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN notice, with the state alerting officials to the upcoming closure and layoffs, according to the Los Angeles Times.

While many employees are expected to remain with the company through reassignment opportunities, the shutdown still represents the loss of a longstanding local landmark tied to Ventura’s industrial history.

The facility’s final day of operation is scheduled for July 10.

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Last week, Newsom celebrated the program’s accomplishments. 

“Over 1 million people that didn’t have access to clean, safe drinking water today have access to clean, safe drinking water,” Newsom told a conference room filled with California’s water leaders, to a round of applause. 

“I’m not saying that to impress you, but to impress upon you real progress. A lot more work to be done.” 

But that work could lose critical funding as the Newsom administration overhauls its source: California’s carbon market. The changes to the program’s funding priorities and revenue threaten efforts to bring clean drinking water to schools, homes and communities across California. 

“If that funding goes away,” said Sherry Hunter, who has long battled the arsenic leaching into the water supply in the historic Tulare County town of Allensworth, “Oh my god, I can’t even imagine.”

Climate money for clean water

A critical piece of California’s clean water funding is linked to the state’s carbon market, which sets a declining cap on greenhouse gas emissions that oil refineries, power plants and manufacturers can meet by buying and trading carbon credits. 

Lawmakers tap this fund for environmental efforts, like combatting unsafe drinking water in rural communities.

In 2019, Newsom signed a law that gave rise to the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience, or SAFER, drinking water program at the State Water Resources Control Board. The law called for funding it with $130 million a year from carbon market revenues through 2030.  

It can be a risky source of funding, subject to the rise and fall of credit auctions. But the law came with a promise: When the proceeds fell flat, the state’s general fund would make up the rest. 

This isn’t the only pot of money that California draws on for its safe drinking water efforts, but it’s the most versatile, paying for emergency and other types of assistance that bonds and more restrictive funding can’t. 

When Newsom and California lawmakers don’t budget enough to provide bottled water for households and schools with dry or dangerous taps, this fund covers the costs. 

When low-income communities can’t pay for the technical expertise to manage their water systems or compete for grants needed to drill new wells and connect to safer water, the safe and affordable drinking water fund can help bridge that gap.

Thousands of households and dozens of schools rely on this money for emergency supplies  — like Hope Elementary School in Porterville, where the taps flow with elevated levels of nitrate. The contaminant is linked to cancers, pregnancy complications and a life-threatening condition in infants known as “blue baby syndrome” when consumed in high enough quantities.  

More than $83,000 has been awarded from the fund since 2021 to supply the school with bottled water and roughly $110,000 for technical assistance as the school district works to connect to safer supplies, according to the water board. 

The funding lets school officials put their budget to work in the classroom. 

“Thank goodness,” said Melanie Matta, the school district’s superintendent and principal. About three-quarters of the students are socioeconomically disadvantaged, Matta said. “That water can get expensive, right? We’re already running on a pretty tight budget.” 

Matta has a message for Newsom: She’d like him to tour her school, and witness why this money is so important. 

“When you meet our kids and walk our small school community, you’ll see exactly why this fight matters and why this funding must be protected,” Matta said in an email. “Safe water is not a gift. It’s a promise. And we need your help to keep that promise.”

‘There’s nothing left’ 

The cuts began in September, when Newsom and lawmakers struck a deal to reauthorize the state’s carbon market after weeks of tense and chaotic negotiations — renaming it “cap and invest.” 

The new laws deprioritized funding lawmakers had promised to safe drinking water, clean air, fire resilience, affordable housing and other programs — shifting their priority behind $1 billion for high-speed rail and $1 billion for lawmakers to direct through the budget. 

The laws removed the 2030 expiration for the safe and affordable drinking water program. But they also dropped the original promise to make up any funding shortfalls from the carbon market — putting $100 million at risk through 2030, according to a Department of Finance forecast in January. 

Assemblymember James Gallagher, a Republican from Chico, called the new priority system “unfortunate” and “misplaced” at a budget subcommittee hearing in March.

“If you ask these Central Valley communities, these rural communities, ‘What would you prefer? Would you want safe drinking water coming out of your faucet, or do you want a high-speed rail in your community?’” he said. “I’m pretty sure I know the answer.” 

Now, climate regulators on the California Air Resources Board — chaired by Newsom appointee Lauren Sanchez — are proposing to overhaul the carbon market in ways that could cut revenues in half. 

If adopted, the changes could leave no funding at all for safe drinking water and other third-tier programs as soon as the 2027–28 fiscal year, according to legislative analyst Helen Kerstein — though, Kerstein added, the forecasts are uncertain. 

Sanchez, who was Newsom’s top climate advisor before leading the air board, defended the staff proposal at a Senate oversight hearing last week.

“Do you believe the Legislature intended to eliminate funding for affordable housing, transit, drinking water, wildfire prevention and clean air programs with the reauthorization?” Sen. Eloise Gómez Reyes, a Democrat from San Bernardino and chair of a Senate budget subcommittee, asked Sanchez.

Sanchez said the staff proposal didn’t specifically call for defunding those programs. 

“Let me stop you for a moment. That will be the effect,” Reyes said. “There’s nothing left … and those are the most important programs that have served the community.”

Newsom deflected, pointing to the Legislature. 

“Any suggestion that California is ‘trading away’ clean drinking water ignores both the current budget proposal, and the Legislature’s ongoing role in funding these priorities,” spokesperson Anthony Martinez said in an emailed statement. Martinez hinted at, but did not specify, what’s coming in Newsom’s May budget revision Thursday. 

‘Many of them were left behind’ 

Roughly 613,000 people still rely on water systems that fail to meet state requirements for safe and reliable drinking water. Regulators at the state water board deem another 661 water systems serving nearly 2 million people “at risk” of failure. 

Still, almost one million more people have safe drinking water than in 2019 — which state water officials attribute to the safe drinking water program and its unique, flexible pot of money. 

“When we were relying on the community to spend its own time and money to get ready, many of them got left behind,” said Darrin Polhemus, who leads the state water board’s Division of Drinking Water. “The safe drinking water fund has allowed us to prepare communities to do long-term projects, faster.”  

The program, which draws from other state and federal funding sources, has awarded more than $1.8 billion in grants for disadvantaged communities. It’s helped around 320 water systems serving 3.3 million people come off the state’s failing list, even as other, at-risk suppliers stumble onto it. 

The safe and affordable drinking water fund also has helped pay for emergency repairs, technical assistance, bottled water supplies and even some construction costs in communities from San Bernardino to Tulare, Monterey and Sutter counties — all contending with aging and contaminated water systems.  

“We could not have done it without them,” said Sherry Hunter in Allensworth, which started work on a new well and storage tank in January to bring clean water to a town struggling with arsenic and other water problems for over a century. 

“There’s a lot of other smaller disadvantaged communities that depend on them as well,” Hunter said. 

The costs for fixing these water systems and household wells could hit billions of dollars in the coming years, according to a 2024 water board analysis. And Polhemus said the challenge will  grow — even as funding shrinks — as water suppliers face new limits on contaminants like hexavalent chromium. 

“If we’ve started and committed to a project, we’ve got the funding reserve to see it through,” Polhemus said. “It’s just, we won’t be starting new projects.” 

Federal money is also running out. A Biden-era funding boost ends this year, slashing another, more restrictive fund for drinking water infrastructure projects from hundreds of millions of dollars to tens of millions, according to federal and water board data. Congressional earmarks could eat into what remains. 

Tami McVay, emergency services director for the nonprofit Self-Help Enterprises, which connects rural communities to affordable housing and safe drinking water, is worried. 

Her program provides bottled water to more than 3,000 households in the San Joaquin Valley, and trucks water to refill storage tanks at roughly 700 more. Her team helps replace domestic wells and test their water. And it relies on state funding. 

Seeing the potential cuts, she said, “it definitely made our mouths drop a little.” 

Polhemus said he understands communities are nervous.

“We’re going to work with the funds we’re given to continue the program as best we can, because we know the need still exists,” he said. “The question of how much of it exists, of course, comes out of our hands and into the political arena.”

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In a news release shared by the California Highway Patrol, officers said that they were contacted by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office for reports of a missing man, Carlos McCowan of Winchester, at around 4:30 p.m. near Indian Creek Road in the Valle Vista area. 

“During the day, McCowan was riding on a quad with his 28-year-old son, who was riding a dirt bike,” CHP’s release said. “Towards the end of the day, his son returned to his truck, but the father did not return.”

A sheriff’s department helicopter was called to the area to assist with the search, and McCown was found a short time later “hunched over” the 2014 Honda TRX450R he was riding. Both RSO and CHP personnel responded to the area via off-road vehicles to investigate a possible crash, but they said that the quad was located with all of its wheels intact. 

They said that McCowan was wearing a helmet and off-road safety clothing when he was found, and that he “displayed no obvious crash injuries.”

Police said that McCowan’s cause of death is under investigation by the Riverside County Coroner’s Office. No further information was provided as the probe continues.

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    The settlement, announced Tuesday, preserves nearly 55 acres of open space surrounding the rare Palmer’s oak in Jurupa Valley while allowing a large-scale residential and commercial development project to continue under revised conditions.

    Under the agreement, the protective buffer surrounding the oak will more than double from 450 feet to 1,000 feet. Conservation groups said the expanded buffer will help reduce impacts from nearby construction and preserve habitat for local wildlife.

    Known as the “Jurupa Oak,” the plant is not a traditional single-trunk tree but a sprawling shrub-like clone estimated to be at least 13,000 years old. Stretching nearly 80 feet across, it is considered the oldest known living plant in California and among the oldest living organisms on Earth.

    Researchers from UC Riverside and UC Davis identified the ancient Palmer’s oak in 2009 while studying vegetation in the hills overlooking what is now Jurupa Valley. Scientists determined the oak is a surviving clone from a much older population that existed during the Pleistocene era, a prehistoric period that ended more than 11,000 years ago.

    Their findings were later published in the research paper titled “A Pleistocene Clone of Palmer’s Oak Persisting in Southern California.”

    Although Palmer’s oak is native to California and not currently listed as endangered, conservationists have long argued that the Jurupa specimen is uniquely important because of its age and rarity.

    “I’m relieved that we can steer development away from an oak that’s so special it can’t be found anywhere else in the world,” said Aruna Prabhala, senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity. “Our goal was to minimize risk to the Jurupa Oak, and this agreement accomplishes that while improving wildlife connectivity in the area.”

    The revised agreement also reduces the overall footprint of the development project and creates an opportunity for environmental organizations or California Native American tribes to purchase an additional 54 acres nearby for conservation purposes.

    Additional environmental safeguards included in the agreement call for reduced lighting, protective fencing around the oak and the use of native plants throughout wildlife corridors designed to support animal movement across the region.

    The settlement follows legal action filed against the city of Jurupa Valley by the Center for Biological Diversity, the California Native Plant Society, the Endangered Habitats League and Friends of Riverside’s Hills.

    The lawsuit challenged the city’s approval of a major development project that included plans for more than 1,500 homes, commercial buildings, schools, parks, an equestrian center and light industrial development near the oak.

    Environmental groups argued the project failed to adequately address potential impacts to the ancient oak and surrounding habitat, alleging violations of the California Environmental Quality Act.

    “Preserving the unique Palmer’s oak and the hillside that has allowed it to survive all these millennia was our primary goal,” said Len Nunney of Friends of Riverside’s Hills. “Adding protected open space and a wildlife corridor connected to hundreds of acres of conserved land will help preserve a viable ecosystem in the area.”

    As part of the agreement, the environmental organizations agreed not to pursue additional legal challenges against the revised development proposal.

The post Agreement Reached to Protect Ancient 13,000-Year-Old Jurupa Oak in Riverside County appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

    One of the latest cuts comes from Geodis, a France-based transportation and logistics company, which recently notified the state that it plans to permanently lay off 238 workers from its facility located at 1710 West Baseline Road in Rialto. According to California WARN filings, the layoffs are expected to take effect by early July.

    The announcement follows other recent reductions throughout the region’s warehousing and distribution sector. Earlier this month, CJ Logistics America, headquartered in Illinois, disclosed plans to eliminate 71 positions at its Fontana warehouse operation.

    Meanwhile, Eclipse Advantage, a Florida-based staffing and workforce support company that serves logistics and manufacturing businesses, announced it will close its Rancho Cucamonga facility by May 30.

    The Inland Empire, long considered one of the nation’s largest logistics and warehouse hubs, has seen steady growth in massive distribution centers over the last decade. However, the sector has recently faced increasing uncertainty as companies adjust operations amid changing economic conditions.

    Industry analysts point to several contributing factors behind the layoffs, including inflation, rising energy costs, tariffs, political uncertainty and the growing use of artificial intelligence and automation throughout supply chain operations.

    The slowdown is not limited to Southern California. According to FreightWaves, which covers the transportation and logistics industry, WARN notices and company announcements show similar workforce reductions occurring in states including Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

    Recent employment figures released by the California Employment Development Department also reflect the strain on the Inland Empire job market.

    The unemployment rate in Riverside County stood at 5.1% in March 2026, while San Bernardino County recorded a 5.0% rate, according to the EDD’s May 1 labor report. By comparison, California’s statewide unemployment rate was 5.2%, while the national unemployment rate was reported at 4.3% during the same period.

    Between February and March, the Inland Empire’s trade, transportation and utilities sector posted the region’s largest monthly job losses, declining by approximately 2,600 positions overall. Of those losses, transportation and warehousing accounted for roughly 2,200 jobs, according to state data.

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