California’s Jobless Rate Dips Again
Sacramento, CA — California’s unemployment rate has held steady for the past five months at 4.2 percent, but in September it dipped even lower to a record of 4.1 percent.
The state Employment Development Department released its report Friday showing a net gain of 13,200 nonfarm payroll jobs during September. Last year, during the month that number sat at 4.5 percent.
Tuolumne County saw its rate dip to 3.9 percent in September from 4.2 percent in August. Calaveras County’s rate fell to 3.5 percent, down from 3.8 percent the previous month.
Statewide professional and business services reported the largest increase with a gain of 11,800 jobs, followed by leisure and hospitality at 8,500 and government at 5,100 respectively. Mining and logging also gained 100 jobs. Educational and health services had the largest decrease with a loss of 3,700 jobs, followed by 3,000 in the information sector and 2,000 in construction.
Although trending down from 20.3 percent in August to 19.3 percent last month, Imperial County remains the highest unemployment rate in the state. San Mateo had the lowest rate at 2.1, followed by San Francisco and Marin counties tied at 2.2 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 3.7 percent.
