Employment Trend Continues

A California Employment Development report says that unemployment in May for Tuolumne County was 12.3%, compared to 13.5% in February and March. Calaveras County’s rate also decreased to 12.9% from 13.4%, down from 14.5% in March and February.

In the central valley region the unemployment rate also went down by nearly a full percent point to about 16%.

California’s unemployment rate dipped slightly overall in May, to 10.8 percent, down from 10.9 percent the previous month. The numbers are preliminary, derived from a federal Bureau of Labor Statistics survey of 5,500 California households.

The state Employment Development Department says that California added more than 33,900 nonfarm payroll jobs in May, showing the state’s economy continues its gradual improvement. Since the recovery began in September 2009, officials say 425,000 jobs have been created in the state.

The labor statistic for May was more than a full percentage point better than the 11.9 percent unemployment rate a year ago. A chart of the past 22 years of the unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted, is available through Google here.

California’s figures contrast with the national trend. The nationwide jobless rate rose to 8.2 percent last month from 8.1 percent in April, its first rise in nearly a year.

Gov. Jerry Brown noted in Tuesday’s KVML “Newsmaker of the Day” story, that California’s unemployment rate the second highest in the nation. He is making the case that, in light of budget concerns, CalWORKS funding should be cut back. More information is in the article “Brown Pushing Welfare Recipients To Work.“