LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County experienced an uptick in joblessness in June, while unemployment remained unchanged statewide and the federal rate had a slight increase, according to the latest report from the California Employment Development Department.
Lake County’s June unemployment rate was 5.7%, compared to the revised May rate of 5% and 6% in April, and the June 2023 rate of 5.2%.
Overall, 180 additional people were reported to be out of work in Lake County in June, for a total of 1,590 unemployed individuals.
Most of Lake County’s job categories declined in June, with the key month-over exceptions of information, which grew by 14.3%; federal government jobs, 6.7%; state government jobs, 5.6%; mining, logging and construction, 5.4%; good producing, 4.7%; retail trade, 2.3%; and trade, transportation and utilities, 2.1%.
Lake County ranked No. 36 for its June rate, according to the report.
Lake’s neighboring county jobless rates and ranks in June were: Colusa, 11.6%, No. 57; Glenn, 6.5%, No. 46; Mendocino, 4.9%, No. 23; Napa, 5%, No. 5; Sonoma, 4%, No. 7; and Yolo, 5.2%, No. 27.
On the national level, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that June’s unemployment rate was 4.1%, compared to 4% in May and 3.6% in June 2023.
On the state level, California’s employers added 22,500 nonfarm payroll jobs in June as the unemployment rate held steady at 5.2%, according to data released by the Employment Development Department, or EDD.
The report said California’s job market expansion officially entered its 50th month.
The California unemployment rate was 5.2% in May 2024, down slightly from the previous month. California payroll jobs totaled 18,033,900 in May 2024, up 43,700 from April. and up 207,700 from May of last year, the EDD said.
The EDD reported that since April 2020, California has gained 3,122,500 jobs, which averages out to 62,450 per month. June’s job gain follows a revised job gain of 43,300 for May 2024.
California gained 107,100 nonfarm payroll jobs in the first six months of 2024, which is more than double the number of nonfarm payroll jobs the State gained during the same time period last year, when the number was 38,400.
The number of Californians employed in June was 18,346,200, an increase of 17,500 persons from May’s total of 18,328,700, but down 93,900 from the employment total in June 2023, the state said.
The EDD said the number of unemployed Californians was 999,990 in June, a decrease of 10,300 over the month, but up 119,100 in comparison to June 2023.
Total nonfarm jobs in California’s 11 major industries amounted to 18,056,000 in June — a net gain of 22,500 from May. This followed a downward revised month-over gain of 43,300 jobs in May, the EDD reported.
The EDD said total nonfarm jobs increased by 223,600, a 1.3% increase, from June 2023 to June 2024 compared to the U.S. annual gain of 2,611,000 jobs, a 1.7% increase.
Seven of California's 11 industry sectors gained jobs in June with the largest increase in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+9,800), adding jobs for the fourth consecutive month. This sector overall has gained 21,700 jobs from March through June, due in part to increased traffic at California’s ports and other seasonal activities.
The number of jobs in the agriculture industry increased from May by 4,200 to a total of 414,800 jobs in June. The agriculture industry had 4,300 fewer farm jobs in June 2024 than it did in June of last year.
At the same time, Lake County’s farm industry was down by 4.8%, a loss of 50 jobs.
The lowest unemployment rate in California in June was in San Mateo, 3.5%, while the highest was in Imperial, 16.4%.
The EDD also released data on Unemployment Insurance benefits during the June 2024 sample week, when there were 381,123 people certifying for benefits. That compares to 379,955 people in May and 384,841 people in June 2023.
Concurrently, 45,162 initial claims were processed in the June 2024 sample week, which was a month-over increase of 6,269 claims from May and a year-over increase of 1,707 claims from June 2023, the EDD said.
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June unemployment rate rises in Lake County
- Elizabeth Larson
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