LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Jobless rates dropped across the state in May, with Lake County's rate also showing improvement.
The California Employment Development Department's latest report on unemployment trends showed that Lake County's May unemployment rate was 11.6 percent, down from 12.7 percent in April and 14.8 percent in May 2012.
California's jobless rate for May was 8.6 percent, down from 9 percent in April and 10.7 percent the previous May, according to the report.
The Employment Development Department said nonfarm jobs in California totaled 14,612,500 in May, an increase of 10,800 jobs over the month, and an increase of 252,100 jobs over the past year.
The nationwide unemployment rate for May was 7.6 percent, up slightly from the 7.5 percent the month before but improved from the 8.2 percent rate reported in May 2012, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Dennis Mullins of the Employment Development Department's North Coast Region Labor Market Information Division said total Lake County wage and salary employment took a seasonal uptick of 420 jobs between April and May.
However, Mullins said Lake County's jobs are down 140 over the year with tourism accounting for 86 percent of the overall net cutbacks.
Six industry sectors gained or remained unchanged and five declined for the period, Mullins said.
He said year-over job growth occurred in farm (+10) and government (+10), with manufacturing, information, professional and business services, and other services showing no change.
Industry sectors with decline over the year included mining, logging and construction (-20); trade, transportation and utilities (-10); financial activities (-10); private educational and health services (-10); and leisure and hospitality (-120), Mullins said.
Mullins said Lake ranked No. 48 among California's 58 counties for its May unemployment rate.
Marin had the lowest unemployment rate in the state in May – 5.2 percent – and Imperial had the highest, 22.8 percent, the state reported.
Lake's neighboring counties registered the following unemployment rates for May, according to the Employment Development Department: Colusa, 15.8 percent; Glenn, 11.3 percent; Mendocino, 7 percent; Napa, 5.3 percent; Sonoma, 6.1 percent; and Yolo, 7.9 percent.
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