LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – California's and the nation's unemployment numbers had a modest improvement in June, while Lake County's numbers remained unchanged over the previous month.
The Employment Development Department's Friday report said Lake County's June unemployment was 6.8 percent in June, the same as it had been in May but improved from the 8.3 percent recorded in May 2014.
The agency said California’s unemployment rate decreased to 6.3 percent in June, down from 6.4 percent in May and 7.5 percent in June 2014.
California's unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,500 California households.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the United States unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, down from 5.5 percent in May and 6.1 percent the previous June.
Lake County's statewide ranking in June was No. 32. Lake's neighboring counties ranked as follows: Colusa, 12.9 percent, No. 57; Glenn, 8.6 percent, No. 45; Mendocino, 5.1 percent, No. 14; Napa, 4.1 percent, No. 5; Sonoma, 4.3 percent, No. 6; and Yolo, 6 percent, No. 23.
San Mateo County had the lowest unemployment rate statewide, with 3.3 percent, while Imperial County, with 21.1 percent, had the highest rate for June.
Lake County had a civilian workforce composed of 30,570 people in June, of which 2,080 were unemployed, compared to a May workforce that also totaled 30,570 but with 2,090 unemployed. The June 2014 civilian workforce totaled 29,810, with 2,490 unemployed.
Most local industries under the heading of “nonfarm” showed modest job growth in June as compared to May, for a “total nonfarm” category rate of 0.6 percent, while “total farm” had a -3.9 percent change over the month.
From May to June, within the total nonfarm category, goods producing grew by 2.4 percent; total private, 0.7 percent; private service providing, 0.6 percent; and service providing, 0.5 percent.
June's job growth compared to the previous year showed a -1.6 percent change in total farm and 4.9 percent in total nonfarm.
Within total nonfarm, goods producing has shown a 10.3-percent increase compared to June 2014, while service providing has grown by 4.6 percent; total private, 4.4 percent; and private service providing, 4.1 percent.
Across the rest of the state, nonfarm jobs in California totaled 16,069,000 in June, an increase of 22,900 jobs over the month – following a gain of 46,200 jobs in May – according to a survey of 58,000 California businesses that measures jobs in the economy.
The year-over-year change, June 2014 to June 2015, showed an increase of 461,800 jobs, or a 3-percent increase, while there has been a total gain of 1,947,700 jobs since the recovery began in February 2010, the EDD reported.
The federal survey of households, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed an increase in the number of employed people.
The EDD said that survey estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in June was 17,848,000, an increase of 35,000 from May, and up 483,000 from the employment total in June 2014.
The number of people unemployed in California was 1,195,000 – down by 18,000 over the month, and down by 217,000 compared with June of last year, the EDD said.
Statewide, six categories – manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; financial activities; professional and business services; educational and health services; and other services – added jobs over the month, gaining 33,000 jobs. Professional and business services posted the largest increase over the month, adding 12,700 jobs, according to the EDD.
The EDD said five categories – mining and logging; construction; information; leisure and hospitality; and government – reported job declines over the month, down 10,100 jobs. Leisure and hospitality posted the largest decrease over the month, down 5,800 jobs.
Ten categories – construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; other services; and government – posted job gains over the year, adding 463,800 jobs, according to the report.
The EDD said professional and business services posted the largest gains on a numerical basis, adding 133,100 jobs, a 5.5-percent increase. Construction posted the largest gains on a percentage basis, up 7.0 percent, adding 47,000 jobs.
One category, mining and logging, posted job declines over the year, down 2,000 jobs, or a 6.4 percent decrease, the state said.
The report also included an update in Unemployment Insurance recipients.
The EDD reported that there were 362,157 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the June survey week, compared with 379,996 in May and 418,927 in June of last year.
At the same time, new claims for Unemployment Insurance were 45,591 in June, compared with 42,929 in May and 62,749 in June of last year.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
State and nation's unemployment drops slightly in June; local numbers remain unchanged
- Elizabeth Larson
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