LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – June’s unemployment numbers showed a slight improvement in California’s job picture, with Lake County remaining stable at the lowest unemployment rate the county has seen in nearly three years.
The California Employment Development Department reported that California’s unemployment rate dropped to 10.7 percent in June, down slightly from 10.8 percent in May and 11.9 percent in June 2011.
The number of people unemployed in June in California was 1,974,000 – down by 20,000 over the month, and down by 213,000 compared with June of last year, the report said.
Nonfarm jobs in California totaled 14,326,700 in June, an increase of 38,300 jobs over the month, for a total gain of 475,300 jobs since the recovery began in September 2009, according to data released by the California Employment Development Department that’s gathered from two separate surveys.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. unemployment rate in June was 8.2 percent, unchanged from May.
In June, Lake County’s unemployment rate was 14.7 percent, the same rate as it registered in May, and down from 16.8 percent in June 2011, according to Employment Development Department statistics.
Lake County’s June rate is the lowest since September 2009, when the county’s unemployment was 14.2 percent.
Dennis Mullins of the Employment Development Department’s North Coast Region Labor Market Information Division said Lake County’s wage and salary employment increased 260 jobs between May and June.
He said Lake County is up 240 jobs in 2012 compared to 2011, with eight industry sectors gaining or holding steady and three declining.
Mullins said year-over job growth occurred in farm, 90; trade, transportation and utilities, 60; professional and business services, 10; private educational and health services, 30; and government, 80.
Industry sectors with no change over the year included financial activities, leisure and hospitality, and other services, Mullins said.
Showing declines over the year were mining, logging and construction, -10; manufacturing, -10; and information, -10, according to Mullins’ report.
Statewide, Marin had the lowest unemployment rate, 6.6 percent, while Imperial had the highest, 28.3 percent, according to the report.
The county’s ranking remained at No. 45 among California’s 58 counties.
Lake's neighboring counties posted the following June unemployment rates: Colusa County, No. 57, 18.1 percent; Glenn, No. 46, 14.8 percent; Mendocino, No. 15, 9.7 percent; Napa, No. 3, 7.8 percent; Sonoma, No. 8, 8.7 percent; and Yolo, No. 24, 10.8 percent.
During the June survey week, 483,445 people received regular unemployment insurance benefits, compared with 515,434 in May and 528,919 in June 2011, the Employment Development Department reported.
The agency said new claims for unemployment insurance were 66,296 in June, compared with 57,545 in May and 74,944 in June 2011.
Surveys show differing employment pictures
A survey of 42,000 California businesses that measures jobs in the economy, and is larger and less variable statistically, showed an increase of 279,100 jobs, or 2.0 percent, from June 2011 to June 2012.
A federal survey of households, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, shows a decrease in the number of employed people. It estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in June was 16,484,000, a decrease of 17,000 from May, but up 326,000 from the employment total in June of last year.
EDD’s report on payroll employment (wage and salary jobs) in the nonfarm industries of California totaled 14,326,700 in June, a net gain of 38,300 jobs since the May survey, following a gain of 45,900 jobs, as revised, in May, according to the Employment Development Department.
The report for June said seven categories – construction; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services – added jobs over the month, gaining 46,600 jobs. Trade, transportation and utilities posted the largest increase over the month, adding 9,400 jobs.
Four categories – mining and logging; manufacturing; educational and health services; and government – reported job declines over the month, down 8,300 jobs, the report showed, with manufacturing
posting the largest decrease over the month, down 4,400 jobs.
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 323,600 jobs, the Employment Development Department said.
The report also showed that professional and business services posted the largest gain on a numerical basis, adding 99,800 jobs, up 4.7 percent. Construction and information posted the largest gains on a percentage basis, both up 5.0 percent, adding 27,200 and 21,700 jobs, respectively.
Three categories – manufacturing; other services; and government – posted job declines over the year, down 44,500 jobs, according to the report, with government posting the largest decline on both a
numerical and percentage basis. That category was down by 35,700 jobs, a 1.5 percent decline.
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