LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The holiday season saw a worsening of unemployment rates across Lake County and California, according to the state's latest report on unemployment.

The Employment Development Department said in a Friday report that Lake County's unemployment rose from an adjusted rate of 18.8 percent in November to 19.1 percent in December, mirroring the overall rising state unemployment figures, which went from 12.3 percent in November to 12.5 percent last month.

At the same time, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics said that nationwide the employment picture improved, with the unemployment rate dropping to 9.4 percent from November's 9.8 percent rate and 9.9 percent in December 2009.

Lake County's December 2009 unemployment rate was 18.2 percent, according to state records.

Lake was ranked No. 50 among the state's 58 counties for unemployment. In December it had a labor force composed of 24,710 members, of which 4,720 were unemployed. That's compared to the November labor force statistics of 24,800 people in the labor force and 4,660 without jobs.

Having the lowest unemployment in December was Marin, at 7.9 percent, contrasted with the state's highest unemployment, found in Imperial County, where 28.3 percent of the labor force is jobless.

Lake's neighboring counties registered the following unemployment rates and statewide ranks in December: Colusa, 25.2 percent, No. 57; Glenn, 17 percent, No. 44; Yolo, 14.3 percent, No. 33; Mendocino, 11.6 percent, No. 19; Napa, 10.6 percent, No. 12; and Sonoma, 10 percent, No. 9.

Within Lake County itself, Upper Lake had the lowest unemployment in December at 10.2 percent, and Clearlake Oaks had the highest, with 27.9 percent.

The following unemployment rates were reported for other areas of the county, from highest to lowest: Nice, 27.4 percent; city of Clearlake, 26.9 percent; Lucerne, 20.1 percent; Kelseyville, 19.4 percent; Middletown, 19.3 percent; city of Lakeport, 18.5 percent; Cobb, 17.2 percent; Lower Lake, 16.1 percent; Hidden Valley Lake, 15.9 percent; and north Lakeport, 15.2 percent.

California's job gains way down in December

The Employment Development Department uses two separate surveys to make its report: a federal survey of 5,500 California households while a survey of 42,000 California businesses measures jobs in the economy.

The former survey shows estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in December was 15,946,000, a decrease of 25,000 from November, but up 78,000 from the employment total in December 2009.

That data also revealed that the number of people unemployed in California was 2,269,000 – up by 3,000 over the month, and up by 35,000 compared with December of last year.

The latter survey revealed nonfarm jobs in California totaled 13,897,100 in December, an increase of 4,900 jobs over the month, following a 30,500-job gain in November.

The year-over-year change – December 2009 to December 2010 – showed an increase of 87,500 jobs, up 0.6 percent, the report said.

The Employment Development Department also reported that there were 599,221 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the December survey week, compared with 600,196 last month and 792,764 last year.

At the same time, new claims for unemployment insurance were 87,289 in December 2010, compared with 72,768 in November and 80,873 in December of last year, the agency reported.

The report showed that seven categories – manufacturing; information; financial activities; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and other services – added jobs over the month, gaining 33,700 jobs. Leisure and hospitality posted the largest increase over the month, adding 9,300 jobs.

Four categories – mining and logging; construction; trade, transportation and utilities; and government – reported job declines this month, down 28,800 jobs, the state reported. Government posted the largest decline over the month, down by 15,400 jobs.

The Employment Development Department said seven industry divisions – manufacturing; information; financial activities; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and other services – posted job gains over the year, adding 146,700 jobs.

Of those seven divisions, professional and business services recorded the largest increase over the year on both a numerical and percentage basis, up 66,900 jobs – a 3.3-percent increase.

The reports said that the mining and logging category recorded no change over the year.

Three categories – construction; trade, transportation and utilities; and government – posted job declines over the year, down 59,200 jobs, the agency reported.

The Employment Development Department also reported that construction employment showed the largest decline over the year on both a numerical and percentage basis, down by 32,900 jobs, a 5.8 percent decline.

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