LAKE COUNTY – The effects of the struggling economy were evident in Lake County in 2009, especially in the number of unemployed residents.

Although December's numbers won't be available until mid-January, the November unemployment rate for Lake County hit 17.7 percent, one of the highest rates seen locally in decades, based on California Employment Development Department records.

The county of Lake responded to the crisis by altering its vendor selection rules, placing the emphasis on local businesses, according to County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox.

Cox, who has been with the county since January of 1980, said he can't recall ever seeing unemployment rates so high in Lake County.

The numbers had crept up steadily over the year, dropping back slightly during the peak agricultural and tourism seasons in the late spring and summer. The lowest rate of the year was 14.8 percent in September.

But with news that one of the county's largest employers, Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa, was closing in November, the numbers jumped up again as the year wound down.

With the winter months proving to be slower for local employment, December's numbers, as well as those into the early months of the new year, could go higher still.

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