Job growth created in the U.S. and on the Central Coast

The U.S.Labor Department said the U.S. economy gained 209,000 jobs in July and the unemployment rate is at a 16 year low of 4.3 percent in July.

Bistro Beaujolais in Carmel told KION they’ve also added to their staff in recent months.

“Line cooks, two line cooks,’ said Bistro Beaujolais owner Farok Shield. “We’ve hired two front of the house, so really we’ve hired five people.”

The report finds that jobs have been gained in every sector, but hospitality saw the most growth, which officials said has to do with more people traveling in the summer, creating a demand for more workers in restaurants and bars.

“We definitely have our regulars,” said Bistro Beaujolais server Gerri White. “But we have the tourists that come in and just fall in love with our little city here.”

Some Central Coast businesses said they’re also seeing customers who are now willing to travel farther during the summer months now that the economy has improved.

“We get a lot of tourists from different parts of the world coming in, different cultures.” said Shield.

The report also points out that while there is an increase in jobs, there’s not been much wage growth .

“Minimum wage has changed which has put a bit of a damper on them changing the middle and upper incomes,” said Jenny MacMurdo, Carmel Chamber of Commerce President and CEO. “They have to pay more for minimum wage now and they’re having a harder time upping the rest of them.”

Even though things are on the upswing, some businesses and economists fear immigration policies circulating in the White House could impact the economy and workforce.

“In Salinas for sure they’re seeing that really impact their workers,” said MacMurdo. “That’s definitely a concern for a lot of your farming communities particularly your ag communities. We haven’t seen it as much here, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not coming down the pipe.”