LAKE COUNTY, Calif – Lake County's unemployment took a turn upward in July while the state and national percentages remained unchanged.

The Employment Development Department's latest report stated that July's unemployment rate in Lake County was 17.3 percent, up from 16.8 percent this past June and 15 percent in July of 2009. The county was ranked No. 49 out of the state's 58 counties.

The state rate remained unchanged at 12.3 percent, but remained higher than the 11.8 percent recorded in July 2009, according to state documents. The unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,500 California households.

The Employment Development Department said nonfarm jobs in California totaled 13,874,900 in July, a decrease of 9,400 over the month, according to a survey of businesses that is larger and less variable statistically. Job losses were primarily in government employment, mostly temporary federal Census jobs, while private nonfarm payrolls grew by 13,700 jobs.

A survey of 42,000 California businesses that measures jobs in the economy showed a year-over-year change – July 2009 to July 2010 – of 103,800 fewer jobs, or a 0.7 percent decrease.

On the national level, the U.S. unemployment rate also was unchanged in July at 9.5 percent, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national unemployment rate in July 2009 was 9.4 percent.

Statewide, the lowest unemployment rate was 8.6 percent in Marin County, while the highest was in Imperial County, which the Employment Development Department said recorded a 30.3 percent rate.

In July, Lake County had a work force of 26,010 people, with 4,510 of them out of work, according to state data, compared with 26,460 workers and 4,450 people out of work in June.

Lake's neighboring counties posted the following rates and state rankings: Glenn, 16.6 percent, No. 47; Mendocino, 11.4 percent, No. 15; Napa, 9.4 percent, No. 3; Sonoma, 10.8 percent, No. 11; and Yolo, 12 percent, No. 23.

Upper Lake continued as the county area with the lowest unemployment in July, 9.1 percent, while Clearlake Oaks again registered the highest unemployment locally at 25.5 percent, detailed state labor data showed.

The following unemployment rates were reported for other areas of the county, from highest to lowest: Nice, 25 percent; city of Clearlake, 24.6 percent; Lucerne, 18.2 percent; Kelseyville and Middletown tied with 17.6 percent; city of Lakeport, 16.7 percent; Cobb, 15.5 percent; Lower Lake, 14.6 percent; Hidden Valley Lake, 14.3 percent; north Lakeport, 13.7 percent.

State lost jobs in year-over-year comparison

The Employment Development Department said that a federal survey of households, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed an increase in the number of employed people during the month. The survey estimated the number of employed Californians in July was 16,018,000, a decrease of 51,000 from June, and down 83,000 from the employment total in July of last year.

The number of people unemployed in California was 2,251,000 – up by 7,000 over the month, and up by 100,000 compared with July of last year, the report said.

The agency's payroll employment report, tracking wage and salary jobs in the nonfarm industries of California, showed jobs totaled 13,874,900 in July, a net loss of 9,400 jobs since the June survey and a loss of 24,000 jobs in June.

The state said five categories – construction; trade, transportation and utilities; information; educational and health services; and other services – added jobs over the month, gaining 21,000 jobs. Educational and health services posted the largest increase over the month, adding 11,600 jobs.

Approximately 30,400 jobs were reported over five categories – mining and logging; manufacturing; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and government, the state said.

Government posted the largest decline over the month, down by 23,100 jobs, the state said, while one sector, financial activities, reported no change over the month.

In year-over-year comparison, five industry divisions showed a total of 65,400 jobs gained, including mining and logging; information; professional and business services; educational and health services; and other services. Educational and health services recorded the largest increase over the year on both a numerical and percentage basis, up 35,500 jobs, or 2.0 percent, according to the state.

Showing job declines over the year were six categories – construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; financial activities; leisure and hospitality; and government – down by 169,200 jobs. The report showed that construction employment had the largest decline over the year on both a numerical and percentage basis, down by 54,300 jobs, a decline of 9.1 percent.

The Employment Development Department said there were approximately 666,502 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the July survey week. That compares with 643,428 last month and 812,165 last year.

New claims for unemployment insurance were 73,817 in July 2010, compared with 75,866 in June and 80,048 in July of last year, the report said.

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