LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The latest reports on unemployment show some good news for Lake County, California and the nation.
The California Employment Development Department's Friday report showed that California’s unemployment rate decreased to 10.9 percent in April from 11 percent in March and 11.8 percent in April 2011.
The report also showed that nonfarm payroll jobs decreased by 4,200 in California in April for a total gain of 385,600 jobs since the recovery began in September 2009.
Lake County's April unemployment rate was 15.6 percent, down 1.3 percentage points from the revised March rate of 16.9 percent and down 1.7 percentage points from the year-ago April 2011 rate, according to Dennis Mullins of the Employment Development Department's North Coast Region Labor Market Information Division.
The April rate earned Lake County a ranking of No. 43 out of the state's 58 counties, the same ranking as in March.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the United States' unemployment rate decreased in April to 8.1 percent from 8.2 percent in March and was down from 9 percent in April 2011.
Neighboring Colusa County ranked No. 57 with 22.6 percent, while Glenn came in at No. 45 with 15.7 percent; Mendocino, No. 19, 10.5 percent; Napa, No. 8, 8.3 percent; Sonoma, No. 9, 8.6 percent; and Yolo, No. 30, 12.3 percent.
In April Marin County continued to hold onto its No. 1 ranking for lowest unemployment, 6.4 percent. Imperial County had the highest unemployment, 26.8 percent, according to the report.
Mullins said Lake County's total wage and salary employment increased by 10 jobs between March and April.
Lake is up 490 jobs over the year with eight industry sectors gaining or unchanged and three declining, he said.
Year-over job growth occurred in farm, 410; trade, transportation and utilities, 100; professional and business services, 10; other services, 20; government, 40, according to Mullins.
He said the information, financial activities, and leisure and hospitality had no change over the year.
Industry sectors that saw decline over the year included mining, logging and construction, and private educational and health services, which lost 40 jobs, and manufacturing, which was 10 jobs down, Mullins said.
The Employment Development Department said in its Friday report that there were 552,163 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the April survey week, compared with 570,089 in March and 584,141 in April 2011.
New claims for unemployment insurance were 63,212 in April, compared with 55,393 in March and 63,739 in April of last year, the agency said.
State, federal surveys offer unemployment pictures
Nonfarm jobs in California totaled 14,237,000 in April, a decrease of 4,200 jobs over the month, according to a survey of 42,000 California businesses.
That state survey showed a year-over-year change – from April 2011 to April 2012 – of 175,600 jobs, up 1.2 percent.
A federal survey of 5,500 California households showed an increase in the number of employed people.
It estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in April was 16,476,000, an increase of 20,000 from March, and up 296,000 from the employment total in April of last year, the Employment Development Department said.
The number of people unemployed in California was 2,007,000 – down by 24,000 over the month, and down by 164,000 compared with April of last year, based on the survey findings.
The Employment Development Department's report on payroll employment – wage and salary jobs – showed that jobs in the nonfarm industries of California totaled 14,237,000 in April, a net loss of 4,200 jobs since the March survey, following a gain of 22,100 jobs in March.
The report showed that four categories – mining and logging; trade, transportation and utilities; professional and business services; and other services – added jobs over the month, gaining 19,100 jobs. Professional and business services posted the largest increase over the month, adding 12,700 jobs.
Seven categories – construction; manufacturing; information; financial activities; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and government – reported job declines over the month, down 23,300 jobs, the report showed. Construction posted the largest decrease over the month, down 6,700 jobs.
In a year-over-year comparison – April 2011 to April 2012 – nonfarm payroll employment in California increased by 175,600 jobs, up 1.2 percent, the report showed.
Other findings in the report: Eight categories – mining and logging; construction; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; professional and business services; educational and health services; and leisure and hospitality – posted job gains over the year, adding 231,100 jobs.
Professional and business services posted the largest gain on both a numerical and percentage basis, adding 80,600 jobs, up 3.8 percent, according to the report.
Three categories – manufacturing; other services; and government – posted job declines over the year, down 55,500 jobs, the report said. Government posted the largest decline on both a numerical and percentage basis, down by 43,200 jobs, a 1.8 percent decrease.
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