LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – For another month unemployment figures remained flat statewide and across the nation, while Lake County's rate moved up a tenth of a percent.

The California Employment Development Department's report on October unemployment figures put Lake County's unemployment at 17.1 percent for last month, up from 17 percent in September.

The state derives the unemployment rate based on a federal survey of 5,500 California households.

Lake County was ranked No. 53 out of the state's 58 counties for its October rate, the Employment Development Department reported. The county's October 2009 unemployment rate was 16 percent, according to state records.

The Friday report showed that California’s unemployment rate remained at 12.4 percent in October – the same as it was in September and August – and nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 39,000 during the month. California's October 2009 rate was 12.2 percent.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the nation's unemployment rate in October was 9.6 percent, also unchanged over August and September. That's down from the October 2009 rate of 10.1 percent.

The Employment Development Department said there were 592,475 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the October survey week, compared to 595,996 in September and 740,272 last year.

At the same time, the state said new claims for unemployment insurance were 67,168 in October 2010, compared with 75,316 in September and 83,475 in October of last year.

Once again in October, Marin and Imperial counties represented the two ends of the spectrum in employment figures – Marin, with the lowest, at 8 percent, and Imperial with the highest, at 29.3 percent.

Lake County's October work force was composed of 25,210 individuals, 4,310 of them unemployed. That's compared to the 26,030 workers and 4,430 unemployed people reported in September.

Lake's neighboring counties registered the following unemployment rates and statewide ranks in October: Colusa, 15.4 percent, No. 45; Glenn, 13.3 percent, No. 34; Yolo, 11.6 percent, No. 22; Mendocino, 10.2 percent, No. 10; Sonoma, 9.7 percent, No. 9; and Napa, 8.9 percent, No. 4.

In Lake County, Upper Lake continued to maintain its spot as the community with the lowest unemployment, 8.8 percent, while Clearlake Oaks remained the area of highest unemployment, at 25.2 percent.

The following unemployment rates were reported for other areas of the county, from highest to lowest: Nice, 24.7 percent; city of Clearlake, 24.3 percent; Lucerne, 18 percent; Kelseyville, 17.4 percent; Middletown, 17.2 percent; city of Lakeport, 16.5 percent; Cobb, 15.3 percent; Lower Lake, 14.4 percent; Hidden Valley Lake, 14.1 percent; and north Lakeport, 13.6 percent.

Surveys explore unemployment situation

The Employment Development Department's report on payroll employment – wage and salary jobs – in the nonfarm industries of California totaled 13,857,500 in October, a net gain of 39,000 jobs since September, according to a survey of businesses that is larger and less variable statistically. Revised numbers for September showed a loss of 53,600 jobs.

The state said a survey of 42,000 California businesses measures jobs in the economy. The year-over-year change – October 2009 to October 2010 – showed a decrease of 27,400 jobs, down 0.2 percent.

The Employment Development Department reported that the federal survey of households, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed a decrease in the number of employed people during the month.

The survey estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in October was 15,972,000, a decrease of 3,000 from September, but up 33,000 from the employment total in October 2009.

The number of people unemployed in California was 2,258,000 – down by 10,000 over the month, but up by 42,000 compared with October of last year, the survey showed.

The state reported that eight categories – construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; other services; and government – added jobs over the month, gaining 46,500 jobs. Professional and business services posted the largest increase over the month, adding 14,800 jobs.

Three categories – mining and logging; information; and financial activities – reported job declines this month, down 7,500 jobs. Financial activities posted the largest decline over the month, down by 4,300 jobs, the state.

The state said that, in a year-over-year comparison – October 2009 to October 2010 – nonfarm payroll employment in California decreased by 27,400 jobs, down 0.2 percent.

Five industry divisions – mining and logging; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and other services – posted job gains over the year, adding 87,000 jobs, based on the report.

The state said professional and business services recorded the largest increase over the year on a numerical basis, up 58,600 jobs, a 2.9-percent increase. Mining and logging recorded the largest increase over the year on a percentage basis, up 3.7 percent, an increase of 900 jobs.

Six categories – construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; and government – posted job declines over the year, down 114,400 jobs, the state said.

Construction employment showed the largest decline over the year on both a numerical and percentage basis, down by 45,700 jobs, a decline of 7.9 percent, according to the report.

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