LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – State and federal unemployment rates remained stable and Lake County’s rate rose in December according to the latest information from the California Employment Development Department.
The state said Lake County’s December unemployment rate was 5.1 percent, up from 4.5 percent in November and 5.6 percent in December 2018.
The report said California’s unemployment rate held steadfast at its record low of 3.9 percent, maintaining a record low in a data series going back to the 1970s. The number of unemployed Californians is the lowest since 1989, despite large gains in statewide population since.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the nation’s December jobless rate remained at 3.5 percent for the second month in a row. The December 2018 rate was 3.9 percent.
The state’s employers added 12,600 nonfarm payroll jobs in December, based on information from two surveys.
California’s job gains in December contributed to a record job expansion in California of 118 months, surpassing the long expansion of the 1960s, state officials said.
California has gained 3,422,900 jobs since the current expansion began in February 2010, accounting for more than 15 percent of the nation’s 22,688,000 job gain over the same timeframe, the Employment Development Department reported.
The report said the number of Californians holding jobs in December was 18,786,800, an increase of 56,400 from November and up 81,800 from the employment total in December of last year.
At the same time, the state said the number of unemployed Californians was 757,700 in December, a decrease of 4,100 over the month and down by 44,900 compared with December of last year.
December’s 12,600 nonfarm payroll jobs gain was driven by growth in six of California’s 11 industry sectors:
– Professional and business services, up by 6,500 jobs, posted the biggest jobs gain, fueled mostly by scientific research and development and advertising and related services.
– Educational and health services, up by 5,200 jobs, also did well with job gains in dental offices and in-home supportive services leading the way.
– Other services, 4,200 jobs.
– Government, 3,400 jobs.
– Construction, 900 jobs.
– Mining and logging, 200 jobs.
Information, one of November’s top job-gaining sectors, posted December’s biggest jobs loss (-3,900) mainly due to weakness last month in the motion picture and sound recording subsector. It was followed by leisure and hospitality (-2,400).
In Lake County, the civilian workforce totaled 29,120 in December, down from 29,390 in November and up from the 28,770 recorded in December 2018.
Total farm categories were down by 16.2 percent and nonfarm dropped by 1.1 percent, but in a year-over comparison, total farm was up by 87.9 percent and total nonfarm was up by 2.6 percent.
Lake County’s December jobless rate ranks it No. 39 of California’s 58 counties for December
Neighboring county jobless rates and ranks for December are: Colusa, 14.2 percent, No. 57; Glenn, 5.5 percent, No. 41; Mendocino, 3.7 percent, No. 24; Napa, 2.9 percent, No. 12; Sonoma, 2.4 percent, No. 5; and Yolo, 3.9 percent, No. 28, the report said.
In related data that figures into the state’s unemployment rate, the Employment Development Department said there were 327,751 people receiving Unemployment Insurance benefits during the survey week in December compared to 293,595 in November and 338,747 people in December 2018.
Concurrently, 50,116 people filed new claims in December which was a month-over increase of 680 people, 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.
Lake County unemployment rises in December; state, federal rates remain flat
- Elizabeth Larson
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