LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The unemployment situation across Lake County and California showing continued gradual improvement based on a new report.
The California Employment Development Department’s Friday report on March unemployment showed that the state’s overall rate dropped to 9.4 percent, down from 9.6 percent in February and 10.7 percent in March 2012, with nonfarm jobs increasing by 25,500 during the month for a total of 14,592,100.
Lake County’s unemployment rate in March was 14 percent, giving it a statewide rank of No. 42. The county’s rate was down from 14.5 percent in February and 16.7 percent in March 2012, according to Dennis Mullins, of the Employment Development Department’s North Coast Region Labor Market Information Division.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the nation’s March unemployment rate was 7.6 percent, the lowest national rate since December 2008. It had declined from 7.7 percent in February and 8.2 percent from March 2012.
California’s rate for March also is the lowest since December 2008, when it was 9.2 percent, the Employment Development Department reported.
Mullins said Lake County’s wage and salary employment declined 80 jobs between February and March, however Lake is up 230 jobs over the year, with eight industry sectors gaining jobs or remaining unchanged, and three declining for the period.
There were 3,470 residents of Lake County unemployed in March, as compared to 3,660 the previous month and 4,220 in March 2012, according to the data.
Mullins said year-over job growth occurred in farm (+340), information (+10) and government (+50), with declines reported in manufacturing (-10), trade, transportation and utilities (-10), and leisure and hospitality (-130). No change occurred in mining, logging and construction; financial activities; professional and business services; private educational and health services; and other services.
Statewide, construction; information; financial activities; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and government added 41,100 jobs over the month. Mining and logging; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; and other services reported job declines totaling 16,600 over the month, the state reported.
Lake’s neighboring counties had the following unemployment rates in March: Colusa, 23.9 percent;
Glenn, 13.7 percent; Mendocino, 9 percent; Napa, 6.7 percent; Sonoma, 7.3 percent; Yolo, 11.1 percent, the state reported.
Colusa’s unemployment rate was the highest in the state, with Marin’s 5.2 percent the lowest, according to the report.
The Employment Development Department reported that there were 532,831 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the March survey week, compared with 487,497 last month and 570,089 last year.
At the same time, new claims for unemployment insurance were 58,842 in March 2013, compared with 41,698 in February and 55,393 in March of last year, the state 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.