LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s jobless rate showed marked improvement in September, even as the harvest season was winding down.
The Employment Development Department’s latest report on unemployment said that Lake County’s September rate was 5.4 percent, down from a revised 5.9 percent in August and well below the year-ago estimate of 5.9 percent.
California’s September unemployment rate was 5.1 percent, unchanged from August. The state’s September 2016 jobless rate was 5.3 percent.
The unemployment rate in California is derived from a federal survey of 5,100 households.
Nationwide, the September jobless rate was 4.2 percent, down from 4.4 percent in August and 4.9 percent the previous September, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Job growth in Lake County in September took place in subcategories including nondurable goods, 6.3 percent; retail trade, 0.9 percent; goods producing, 0.9 percent; and educational and health services, 0.2 percent, according to information provided by the Employment Development Department.
Categories in Lake County that showed job loss last month included total farm, 26.4 percent; information, 8.3 percent; federal government, 5.9 percent; state government, 4.5 percent; local government, 2.4 percent; leisure and hospitality, 1.8 percent; and other services, 1.8 percent.
Lake County’s September jobless rate earned it a ranking of No. 38 out of the state’s 58 counties. Its neighboring counties were ranked as follows: Colusa, 8.9 percent, No. 56; Glenn, 6.3 percent, No. 45; Mendocino, 4 percent, No. 13; Napa and Sonoma, tied at, 3.2 percent, No. 4; Yolo, 4.5 percent, No. 20.
The lowest unemployment statewide, 2.7 percent, was in San Mateo County, while Imperial had the highest, 22.6 percent.
Statewide job growth continues
The Employment Development Department said California’s employers added 52,200 nonfarm payroll jobs in September, and has now gained a total of 2,643,900 jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010.
Nonfarm payroll jobs in California totaled 16,830,500 in September, according to a survey of 71,000 California businesses that measures jobs in the economy.
The year-over change, September 2016 to September 2017, shows an increase of 280,300 jobs, up 1.7 percent, according to the report.
The report said that the federal household survey, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed an increase in the number of employed Californians over the month and the year.
It estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in September was 18,309,000, an increase of 113,000 from August, and up 183,000 from the employment total in September of last year.
The number of unemployed Californians was 986,000 in September – up by 13,000 over the month, but down by 37,000 compared with September of last year, the Employment Development Department said.
Eight of California’s 11 industry sectors added a total of 57,100 jobs in September, the report said.
Government posted the largest jobs increase with a gain of 27,000 jobs, followed by trade, transportation and utilities, up 13,000 jobs, and other services, up 5,200 jobs. Other sectors adding jobs over the month were information; leisure and hospitality; construction; educational and health services; and financial activities, according to the report.
Three industry sectors reported job declines over the month, down a total of 4,900 jobs.
The state said professional and business services posted the largest decrease over the month, down 3,500 jobs, followed by manufacturing, down 1,300 jobs, and mining and logging, down 100 jobs.
In a year-over-year comparison – September 2016 to September 2017 – the state said nonfarm payroll employment in California increased by 280,300 jobs, a 1.7-percent increase.
The Employment Development Department said eight of California’s 11 industry sectors added a total of 287,700 jobs over the year.
The report said the largest job gains were in educational and health services, up 75,300 jobs, or a 3.0-percent increase; government, up 57,600 jobs, a 2.3-percent increase; and construction, up 44,600 jobs, a 5.7-percent increase.
Other sectors that the agency said added jobs over the year were leisure and hospitality; trade, transportation and utilities; other services; information; and financial activities.
The Employment Development Department said three industry sectors posted job declines over the year, down a total of 7,400 jobs: professional and business services fell by 3,400 jobs, down 0.1 percent; manufacturing fell by 3,000 jobs, down 0.2 percent; and mining and logging fell by 1,000 jobs, down 4.2 percent.
The Employment Development Department also reported that there were 312,933 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the September survey week. That is compared with 340,670 in August and 326,253 in September of last year.
New claims for Unemployment Insurance were 39,575 in September, compared with 38,074 in August and 38,277 in September of last year, the agency said.
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.
Lake County unemployment rate drops in September
- Elizabeth Larson
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