- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
State, local unemployment shows slight increases in July
The California Employment Development Department's report for July, released on Friday, showed that
California recorded a 12-percent unemployment rate last month, up from 11.8 percent in June but down from 12.4 percent in July 2010.
Nonfarm payroll jobs in California increased by 4,500 during the month for a total of 116,000 since 2011 began, according to data the agency uses from two separate surveys.
Lake County's unemployment rate was 17.5 percent in July, up from the seasonally adjusted number of 17.3 percent in June, earning it the No. 49 ranking out of 58 counties. The county's July 2010 unemployment rate also was 17.5 percent, according to the Employment Development Department.
The U.S. unemployment rate decreased in July to 9.1 percent, down from 9.2 percent in June, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The bureau noted in a separate Friday report that the Western United States reported the highest regional unemployment rate in July, 10.5 percent, while the Northeast recorded the lowest rate, 8.2 percent.
In California, Marin County had the lowest unemployment for July, at 8.1 percent, while Imperial County had 30.8 percent unemployment, the report showed.
Lake's neighboring counties registered the following unemployment rates and statewide ranks: Colusa, 18.4 percent, No. 55; Glenn, 17.3 percent, No. 48; Yolo, 12.2 percent, No. 24; Mendocino, 11.3 percent, No. 20; Napa, 9.2 percent, No. 5; and Sonoma, 10.3 percent, No. 7.
In Lake County, Clearlake Oaks had the highest unemployment, 25.7 percent, followed by Nice, 25.2 percent; the city of Clearlake, 24.8 percent; Lucerne, 18.4 percent; Kelseyville, 17.8 percent; Middletown, 17.8 percent; city of Lakeport, 16.9 percent; Cobb, 15.7 percent; Lower Lake, 14.7 percent; Hidden Valley Lake, 14.4 percent; north Lakeport, 13.9 percent; and Upper Lake, 9.2 percent.
Lake County had a labor force of 24,980 people in July, with 4,370 of them out of work, according to state records. In June, there were 25,640 people in the county's labor force, with 4,430 unemployed.
The Employment Development Department reported that there were 566,380 people in California receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the July survey week, compared with 528,919 last month and 666,502 last year.
The state said new claims for unemployment insurance were 57,897 in July 2011, compared with 74,944 in June and 73,817 in July of last year.
Surveys give different job growth numbers for July
The Employment Development Department said nonfarm jobs in California totaled 14,074,700 in July, an increase of 4,500 jobs over the month. That followed a gain of 30,400 jobs in June, according to a survey of 42,000 California businesses measures jobs in the economy. The year-over-year change – July 2010 to July 2011 – shows an increase of 189,400 jobs, up 1.4 percent.
A federal survey of 5,500 households showed a decrease in the number of employed people. It estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in July was 15,848,000, a decrease of 62,000
from June, and down 53,000 from the employment total in July of last year, the Employment Development Department reported.
The state said that the number of people unemployed in California was 2,167,000 – up by 34,000 over the month, but down by 85,000 compared with July of last year.
The report showed that eight categories – mining and logging; construction; manufacturing; information; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and other services – added jobs over the month, gaining 12,600 jobs. Educational and health services posted the largest increase over the month, adding 4,200 jobs.
Three categories – trade, transportation and utilities; financial activities; and government – reported job declines over the month, down 8,100 jobs. Of those groups, government posted the largest decrease over the month, down 5,800 jobs, the state said.
In a year-over-year comparison, from July 2010 to July 2011, nonfarm payroll employment in California increased by 189,400 jobs, up 1.4 percent, according to the report.
Eight categories – mining and logging; construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; information; professional and business services; educational and health services; and leisure and hospitality – posted job gains over the year, adding 226,600 jobs, the state said.
The Employment Development Department said professional and business services posted the largest gain on a numerical basis, adding 59,400 jobs, up 2.9 percent, while information posted the largest gain on a percentage basis, up by 7.1 percent, an increase of 30,000 jobs.
Three categories – financial activities; other services; and government – posted job declines over the year, down 37,200 jobs, the Friday report noted. Government posted the largest decline on both a numerical and percentage basis, down by 33,000 jobs, a decrease of 1.4 percent.
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